THE 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS 



A Text-book for Public Schools, High 
Schools, and Academies 



^ ' 



BY/ 

JosiAH H. "Shinn, a. M. 

EX-STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, AND AUTHOR 

OF THE " HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE," " PUBLIC 

LAND SURVEYS," AND " HISTORY OF EDUCATION 

IN ARKANSAS" 



T^UX^^i^*^ ©M.^^ 




WILSON AND WEBB 

BpOK AND STATIONERY COMPANY 

LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS 






2979 



Copyright, 1898, by 
Wilson and Webb Book and Stationery Company. 



PREFACE. 

The present volume is intended to meet an existing 
demand for a text-book on the history of Arkansas 
which shall reflect the most advanced historical and 
pedagogical methods, and at the same time be adapted, 
in style and matter, to our public schools, our high 
schools, and our academies. 

The attention of teachers is called to the following 
special features: 

1. The chronological treatment of the subject from 
the days of De Soto to the present time. 

2. The subdivision into chapters with titles, which 
serve as great general topics upon and around which 
the side heads arrange themselves in a natural and 
easy manner. 

3. The grouping of the side heads as subordinate 
titles immediately under the principal title. By this 
means the topical method of presentation is aided with- 
out destroying the chronological order. It also facili- 
tates reviews, and enables teachers who have the time, 
to develop the subject more exhaustively. 

4. The schemes for the presentation of the subject 
at the close of certain chapters; the notes at the foot 
of pages; the questions for review; the maps and illus- 
trations; the tables showing the battles and skirmishes 
in Arkansas during the Confederate States' War; the 
list of regiments and their commanding officers, and 
other valuable tabular matter. 

[3] 



4 PREFACE. 

The author has endeavored to be fair and impartial 
in the treatment of all political questions, and to pre- 
sent every feature of our state growth with accuracy, 
clearness, and force. 

He is indebted for much valuable information to 
Sterhng Cockrill, John G. Fletcher, S. W. Williams, 
T. W. Newton, T. J. Churchill, W. P. Campbell, E. B. 
Mills, C. B. Myers, Charles and James Coffin, H. B. 
Armistead, O. C. Gray, James A. Martin, H. J. Trimble, 
F. W. Hodge, J. R. H. Scott, R. G. Shaver, Dandridge 
McRae, J. R. Jobe, H. G. Bunn, J. C. Tappan, E. B. 
Jett, Brice Williams, E. W. Rector, J. H. Rogers, 
Frank Weaver, and J. M. Lucey. 

He is greatly indebted also to Prof. R. H. Parham 
for many valuable suggestions. 

The book is submitted to the teachers and directors 
of the state with the hope that it may stimulate not 
only a genuine love of our country and of our state, 
but also the sturdy qualities of industry, energy, and 
self-denial. 

JOSIAH H. SHINN. 

Little Rock, Arkansas. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER. PAGE. 

I. Indian Occupation 9 

II. Hernando De Soto in Arkansas 17 

III. French Explorations in Arkansas 23 

IV. French Domination 30 

V. Spanish Domination 38 

VI. The Last Days of Spain and France .... 49 

VII. The Province of Louisiana 55 

VIII. The Territory of Louisiana 60 

IX. The Territory of Missouri 67 

X. The Territory of Arkansaw — Miller's Admini- 
stration .... 80 

XI. Izard's Administration 97 

XII. Pope's Administration 103 

XIII. Fulton's Administration ... .... 108 

XIV. The State of Arkansas, James S. Conway's Ad- 

ministration ... 120 

XV. Archibald Yell's Administration 135 

XVI. Thomas S. Drew's Administration 143 

XVII. John Selden Roane's Administration .... 151 

XVIII. Elias N. Conway's Administration 156 

XIX. Henry M. Rector's Administration 172 

XX. Henry M. Rector's Administration (continued) . 181 

XXI. Harris Flanagin's Administration 188 

XXII. Isaac Murphy's Administration 195 

XXIII. Powell Clayton's Administration 204 

XXIV. O. A. Hadley's Administration 210 

XXV. Elisha Baxter's Administration 213 

XXVI. Augustus H. Garland's Administration . . . 222 

XXVII. William R. Miller's Administration .... 227 

XXVIII. Thomas J. Churchill's Administration ... 235 

XXIX. James H. Berry's Administration 239 

[5] 



6 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER. PAGE. 

XXX. Simon P. Hughes' Administration 245 

XXXI. James P. Eagle's Administration 254 

XXXII. William M. Fishback's Administration . . . 263 

XXXIII. James P. Clarke's Administration 274 

XXXIV. Daniel W. Jones' Administration 285 

XXXV. A General View 2S9 



BOOKS OF REFERENCE. 

Biedma's Expedition of Hernando De Soto. 

Knight of Elvas' Expedition of De Soto. 

D. Coxe's Corolana. 

Marquette's Discoveries in North America. 

La Salle's Taking Possession of the Mouths of the Mississippi. 

De Tonti's Memoir 

Penicault. 

Mabry. 

Dumont's Memoirs of Louisiana. 

Bancroft's History of the United States. 

Demitry's History of Louisiana. 

Campbell's Florida. 

Hempstead's Arkansas. 

Haywood's Tennessee. 

Butler's Kentucky. 

Parton's Burr. 

Powell's Ethnology. 

Gatchett's Legends of Creek Migration. 

Holmes' Arkansas Pottery. 

Pike's Report. 

Owen's Geological Survey. 

Branner's Geological Survey. 

Slavery in the Territories — Welling Am. History Papers. 1891. 

Pope's Early Days in Arkansas. 

Lucey's Souvenir of a Silver Jubilee. 



BOOKS OF REFERENCE. 7 

Ramsay's Tennessee. 

Lowry and McCardle's History of Mississippi. 
Public Domain. 
Travels in the Wild West. 
V/ilmers Life of De Soto. 

Winsor's Narrative and Critical History of America. 
Williams* Memorabilia of Hempstead County. 
Claiborne's Louisiana. 

Jefferson's Correspondence and Proclamations. 
Appleton's Encyclopedia. 
Monette's Mississippi Valley. 
War Records of the United States. 
Acts of Arkansas 1819-1895. 

Journals and Public Documents of Arkansas 1819-1895. 
State Papers — Public Lands. 
Harrell's Brooks-Baxter War. 
Hallum's Biographical History of Arkansas. 
Hon. David Walker's Speech at the Centennial. 
Jewell's History of Methodism in Arkansas. 
Life of Rev. J. Coleman. 

Dunbar's Report of Explorations on the Washita. 
Files of the Arkansas Gazette. 
Report of the Poland Investigating Committee. 
Report of the Committee on Southern Outrages. 
Letter-press books of the Governors. 
Census Reports. 
Press Association Minutes. 
Minutes State Teachers' Associations. 
Files of the Little Rock Republican. 
Files of the Washington Telegraph. 
County Court Records. 
The Cherokee Nation by Royce. 

Cephas Washburn's Reminiscences of the Indians, with biog- 
raphy of Washburn by Rev. J. W. Moore of Little Rock. 




MAP SHOWING MIGRATIONS OF THE OMAHAS AND COGNATE TRIBES. 



Legend. 

Winnebago nabitat. i6. 

Iowa habitat. 17. 

Arkansas habitat. 18. 

Quapaw habitat, after the separa- 19. 

tion from the Omahas, etc. 20. 

Route of the Omahas, Poncas, 22. 

Kansas and Osages. 23. 

Their habitat at the mouth of the 24. 

Missouri River. 

Their course along that river. 25. 

Their habitat at the mouth of 26. 

Osage River. 27. 

Subsequent course of the Osages. 28. 

Subsequent course of the Kansas. 30. 

Course of the Omahas and Poncas, 31. 

according to some. 33. 
Their course, according to others. 

Where they met the lowas. 35. 

Course of the three tribes. 37. 
Pipestone quarry. 



Cliflfs 100 feet high on each bank. 
Fort built by the three tribes. 
Lake Andes. 
Mouth of White River. 
Mouth of the Niobrara River. 
Omaha village on Bow Creek. 
Iowa village on Ionia Creek. 
Omaha village Titanga jiiiga and 

Zande buta. 
Omaha village at Omadi. 
Omaha village on Bell Creek. 
Probable course of the lowas. 
Omaha habitat on Salt Creek. 
Omaha habitat at Ane nat'aican 
Omaha habitat on Shell Creek. 
Omaha habitat on the Elkhorn 

River. 
Omaha habitat on Logan Creek. 
Omaha habitat near Bellevue. 



[8] 



THE HISTORY OF ARKANSAS 



CHAPTER I. 

INDIAN OCCUPATION. 

1. The Dakota Family. 4. Pottery. 

2. The Quapaws and Osages. 5. Ancient Novaculite Quarries. 

3. Mound Exploring Regions. 6. Tents and Houses. 

I. The Dakota Family. Before the days when the 
white man entered America the whole region was occu- 
pied by people, now called by the general name, 
Indians. They were divided into a number of distinct 
tribes, having different languages, different institu- 
tions, and different cus- 
toms; and were united by 
but one bond — a com- 
mon ancestry. As they 
have left no written rec- 
ords, our knowledge of 
them is gathered from 
the traditions of living 
Indians, from study and 
comparison of their lan- 
guages, and from inves- 
tigation of the remains prehistoric po-ttery. 

[9] 




HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



that they have left in the shape of mounds, pottery, 
arrowheads, inscriptions, and burial sites. ^ 

Where these people originally came from is not 
known. If it is held that there is but one species of 
man, then we may reasonably believe that the species 
has been dispersed from some common center; but 
where this center was no one can now say. And 

even were this known, the 
lines of migration from that 
center could not be traced 
until the changes in the phy- 
sical geography of the earth 
since the earliest times had 
been recorded. Of this 
only are we assured by the 
recent triumphs of Ameri- 
can archaeology and philol- 
ogy, — that the Indians oc- 
cupying the vast region of 
what is now Arkansas, 
Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska, and the 
Dakotas were of one stock or family. This family has 
been called the Dakotas^ and was made up of fourteen 
tribes, whose names were as follows: Quapaws,^ Osa- 

1, The pupil should consult his dictionary for a detinition of the words eiJi 
nology\ philology^ and arch(Pology^ and associate each definition with the studies 
named in the text. Teachers will derive much aid from the works of the 
Bureau of Ethnology at Washington. 

2. Quapaiv or Quapa is a modern incorrect rendering for the old Indian 
word Kapa^ an abbreviation of Uga.vpa or Ugaqpa, (.r or q has the sound of 
the German ch in nicht). De Soto's historians called it Pacaha, which is an 
inversion of Capaha, or Kapa. The Algonquin word for A'^r/a is ^-fr/tawi-^. 
Thus the Indians of eastern Arkansas called themselves Kapa, while their 
neighbors higher up the river called them A kansa. The word Arkafisas 
finds a birthplace among the Algonquins, and not in the language of Kapas 
or Quapaws. Father Gravier and Marquette, in using the Algonquin word 
A kansa^ spelled it A rkansea. La Salle spelled it A rkaitsa ; Joutel, A ccancea ; 




HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. ii 

ges, Missouris, lowas, Kansas, Arrapahoes, Ottoes, 
Omahas, Poncas, Sioux, Crows, Assiniboines, Man- 
pans, and Minnatarees. 

2. The Quapaws and Osages. The Indians have always 
been a wandering people. The following tradition 
shows the Indian belief as to the manner in which the 
Dakota family reached its present habitation west Of 
the Mississippi: The ancestors of the various tribes 
which make up this family came from the east. They 
traveled down the Ohio, possibly driven westward by 
the Algonquins. At the mouth of the river they sepa- 
rated: the Omahas, Poncas, Osages, and others went up 
the Mississippi; the rest went down that river. Those 
who went up were called Umaha or Omaha^ "to go 
against the wind and stream." Those who went down 
were called Ugaqpa or Quapaw^ from ugaqpa or iigaJia^ 
" to float down the stream," 

The Quapaws entered what is now Arkansas at its 
northeastern corner, and in time spread themselves 
along the eastern boundary of the state beside the 
river, building towns and forming settlements. Later 
they were found to be in possession of nearly all the 
territory south of the Arkansas river. 

The Osages and the Omahas pursued their course up 
the Mississippi to the mouth of the Missouri, then up 
the Missouri to the mouth of the Osage. Here the 
Osages decided to separate from the Omahas. The 
Omahas pushed on into what is now Nebraska and 
the northwest.^ The Osages gradually spread over 

Henry de Tonti, .-i/5ra«<frtj. These are all French corruptions of the word 
Akansa^ which they heard so frequently among the Alg-onquins in Illinois. 

I. The Kansas tribes separated from the Omahas at the mouth of the Kan- 
sas river and gradually spread westward over the present state of Kansas 
and into Indian Territory. 



12 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

what is now southern Missouri and south as far as the 
Arkansas river. 

Thus, what is now the state of Arkansas, came to 
be occupied almost entirely by two great tribes. ^ In 
the course of time many sub-tribes, with new names, 
sprang into existence, but they were all derived from 
one or the other of these original tribes. The Quapaw, 
or Akansa, tribe has left remains of greater archaeolo- 
gical value and interest than those of the Osages. 

3. Mound Exploring Regions. In the National Mu- 
seum at Washington are great collections of Indian 
materials, which have been gathered from all parts of 
the United States. The government has, by liberal 
appropriations of money, furthered the investigation of 
questions relating to prehistoric America. Information 
regarding ancient monuments, languages, customs, 
arts, beliefs, and folklore has been diligently sought, 
and when found has been classified, catalogued, and 
studied by men of science. In this way we are learn- 
ing much, not only of the historic Indians, but also of 
their ancestors, — the mound builders. 

The plan adopted by the Bureau of Ethnology was 
to examine the mound-building region along three 
primary north and south lines: the first one being 
the immediate valley of the Mississippi from Wisconsin 
southward; the second, from Ohio southward through 
Kentucky to Mississippi ; the third, the valley of eastern 
Tennessee and western North Carolina, thence south- 
ward through Georgia and Alabama to Florida. 

The first and principal area, the valley of the Mis- 
sissippi, has been divided into three parts: the Upper, 

I. The Caddo Indians lived in the southwestern part of the state and 
roamed all over it, but never claimed its lands. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 13 

the Middle, and the Lower Mississippi districts. Most 
of the collections already made are from the Middle 
province. This area includes contiguous parts of Mis- 
souri, Arkansas, and Tennessee, with a center at Pecan 
Point in Arkansas. The relics about this point are 
very abundant and show a large population of Indians 
in what is now Mississippi county. 

4. Pottery. Arkanass is rich in the quantity and 
character of its pottery. Around Pecan Point such 
relics are more abundant than elsewhere, but they are 
found also in great numbers along the Arkansas river, 
and less abundantly 
along all the waterways 
of the state. 

The material used 
by the Indians in mak- 
ing this pottery was a 
moderately fine- 
grained clay, tempered 
with pulverized shells. 
The vessels were made by modeling the clay over 
gourds and blocks of wood. Some of the ware 
was sun-baked, but the greater part of it was burnt. 
The color varied from a rich black to all shades of 
brown and gray.^ The forms were numerous and 
pleasing. 2 The finish was made with trowels, paddles, 
stamps, polishing stones, and other implements. A 
coat of thick red ochre was sometimes applied, but no 
glaze has been found on pieces known to be ancient. 

1. See Ancient Pottery of the Mississippi Valley, by William H. Holmes. 

2. See illustrations throughout this chapter. These forms are far superior 
to those from the eastern United States. They are as varied and beautiful 
as the ancient Pueblo pottery, but inferior to that of Central America 
and Peru. 




INDIAN POTTERY. 



14 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

The ornamentation is varied and artistic; it takes the 
form of fanciful shapes, reliefs, intaglio ^ figures, and 
designs in colors. 

The early Indian pottery was used mainly for 
domestic purposes, — such as cooking, carrying and 
boiling water, making sugar and salt, and storing 
honey, oil, and paint. It was used also for religious 
and burial purposes. 

There can be no doubt that the manufacture of this 
ware began many centuries before the white man 
reached America, but it is certain also that the art was 
practiced until recent times. The early explorers of 
Louisiana saw such pottery in use and described the 
processes of manufacture. Du Pratz in his " History of 
Louisiana' ' says : "The women make pots of an extra- 
ordinary size, jars with medium-sized openings, bowls, 
two-pint bottles with long necks, jugs which hold as 
much as forty pints, and plates and dishes in the 
French fashion. "^ 

1. In relief and intaglio work the natives show great skill and prove a long 
experience. 

2. The great mounds of the state are the Pemisscott, the Chickasawba, the 
Carson Lake, and the Pecan Point in Mississippi county. In Arkansas county 
near Arkansas Post is the giant Menard Mound, 965 feet in circumference at 
the top. Other great mounds are Mound Prairie, Indian Bay, Plum Bayou, 
and Toltec. The field graves near these places are numerous. Toltec is six- 
teen miles east of Little Rock. There were many mounds at this place, two 
of which were about one hundred feet in height in 1840. They are more than 
seventy feet high now. The mounds were mclosed by an artificial levee 
about ten feet high. The inclosure contains about ninety acres. The Smith- 
sonian Institute and the Bureau of Ethnology have explored many of the 
mounds in Arkansas, and the illustrations given in this book are taken from 
their reports. 

Edward T. Cox, Assistant Geologist for Arkansas, visited one of the Phillips 
county embankments in 1859. It was at the terminus of Crowley's Ridge, 
northwest of Helena. The embankments or walls were analyzed and found 
to be of sun-dried clay, mixed with stems and leaves of the sugar cane. The 
vegetable structure of the sugar cane was still well preserved in the clay 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 15 

5. Ancient Novaculite Quarries. In Garland and Hot 
Spring counties are to be found many ancient novacu- 
lite quarries. Some of these extend over a distance of 
four miles. These quarries are from fifteen to forty 
feet deep, from ten to thirty feet wide, and from one 
hundred to three hundred feet long. They were 
opened and worked by the aborigines for the pure 
white, agate-like novaculite found therein. Some varie- 
ties of this are to-day quarried near Hot Springs, and 
used for whetstones, which are sold in all parts of the 
world. The flinty, glassy variety quarried by the 
Indians was manufactured by them into flaked and 
polished tools and arrowheads or projectile points. 
Hundreds of square miles are strewn with flakes, frag- 
ments, and rejected pieces, while over the whole 
country from the mountains to the gulf, may be found 
the finished forms that were used and lost. 

6. Tents and Houses. On their hunting expeditions 
the Osages and Quapaws pitched their tents in one large 
circle. The placing of the tents was left to the women. 
The regular homes of these tribes, however, were along 
the rivers, where they built villages containing many 
lodges or houses. Each man placed his lodge where 
he pleased, generally near his kindred. We shall learn 
more of these houses and villages in another chapter. 

matrix. There was no appearance of brick. Between Helena and Old Town, 
six miles south of Helena, he found traces of an old fortification, and an 
abundance of mounds. One ax was made of silicified wood, such as he had 
found in Dallas, Jefferson, St. Francis, and other counties in the tertiary 
region of eastern Arkansas. 

Near the mouth of the St. Francis are mounds used by the people to-day as 
stopping' places in times of overflow. 

In Newton county are many nitre caves in which bones of men, as well as 
of animals, such as the buffalo, the deer, and the turkey, have been found 
These bones indicate that the caverns were once the homes of the ab- 
origines. 



i6 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 




Note. — The route of De Soto is indicated by the heavy black line. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



17 



CHAPTER II. 

HERNANDO DE SOTO IN ARKANSAS. 
7. De Soto. 

7. De Soto.^ Hernando De Soto, with six hundred 
followers, landed in Florida in 1539. For two years he 
wandered over the region now occupied by Florida, 
Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, searching for gold 

and fighting with the In- 
dians. In May, 1541, he 
reached the Mississippi 
river, called by him Rio 
Grande, at some point 
between what is now 
Helena and the mouth 
of the Arkansas. Here 
he remained for thirty 
days, building barges 
to cross the river. Hav- 
ing crossed the Miss- 
issippi, he captured the 
town of Aquixo. 
Three days later he entered the towns of the Casqui, 
the cacique or chief of which surrendered himself and 
his people to the will of De Soto. In all the towns of 
Casqui the people were friendly ; they gave the Spaniards 
presents of skin (bear and deer), mantles, and fish. The 
towns of Casqui were south and west of Old Town 
(Phillips county) and probably included the town at 

I. The authorities on this expedition generally followed by historians are 
Las Vegas and a Portuguese, "The Knight of Elvas." Biedma is more 
trustworthy. All three have been consulted in the preparation of this text. 

HIST. OF ARK. — 2 




HERNANDO DE SOTO. 



1 8 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

Indian Bay. One day the chief brought two blind men 
to De Soto and asked him to heal them. De Soto 
erected a great cross, told the chief the story of Jesus, 
and exhorted him to worship Christ, saying that He 
alone could restore sight to the blind and that He was 
always ready to listen to the prayers of His children. 
The chief thereupon promised to worship the God of the 
Christians. A few days later he called upon De Soto 
and thanked him for the cross. " For" said he, " our 
crops have been burning up with drought and for a 
long time no relief has been in sight. But now we 
have bowed down before the cross, and prayed for rain, 
and lo! the rain has come." 

De Soto next moved on to Pacaha, one day's jour- 
ney from Casqui.^ The cacique of Pacaha, with his 
people, left the town in alarm, but was finally induced 
to return. Here the Spaniards secured an abundance 
of skins of the bear, the lion, the deer, and the cat; 
there were also ox hides from which the Spaniards 
made coverings for their horses. The town was large 
and well fortified with walls and towers. 

There was much old corn in the town and plenty of 
new corn in the fields. For defense, there was dug 
around the town a ditch which led to a large lake 
between the walls and the river. This lake connected 
with the river and abounded with fish. The Indians 
used nets for catching the fish and w^ere very skillful. 
The Knight of Elvas describes many of the fish, but 
was most surprised at the bagres, or catfish. He says: 

I. Spelled Yeasqui by Biedma. He also places the Casqui between the 
landing place and Pacaha. The Knight of Elvas says that a day's journey 
through peopled countries was five or six leagues ; through deserted lands 
much more. A Spanish league was from two to four miles. Coxe places a 
nation Casqui in western Kentucky. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 19 

" The third part of it was head, and it had on both 
sides the gills, and along the sides very sharp awls." 
His description of the spadefish, one of the strangest 
and rarest fish of the Mississippi, proves the accuracy 
of his observation. 

De Soto sent eighty men to the north to the province 
of Caluca,^ seven days' journey distant. They returned, 
discouraged, having been forced to eat green plums 
and cornstalks. 

The Indians stated that the country to the north was 
thinly inhabited because of the cold.^ Biedma says 
that the Indians to the north lived in movable tents 
and that at Caluca their food was fish and game. 

De Soto next turned to the southwest and after four 
days reached Quigate,^ which was reported by the 

1. Calusi by Biedma. This author gives the direction northeast through 
swamps. 

2. All these statements show the difificulty of locating the point where De 
Soto crossed, or where the towns Aquixo, Casqui, Capaha, and Caluca were 
situated. The rich Indian settlements in Mississippi county around Pecan 
Point are ignored, unless Caluca be taken for these places. The nation at 
Pecan Point is called by Coxe the Sypouria. Pacaha, Capaha, or Kapa has 
been identified as Old Town, fifteen miles below Helena. The lake or the 
bed of the Old river stands yet as a lasting witness of the situation of Pacaha 
and the truthfulness of the Knight of Elvas. 

3. This town was evidently on the Arkansas river. When De Soto resolved 
to go southward from Capaha he simply retraced his steps. The Knight of 
Elvas says: "The cacique of Casqui commanded the bridge to be repaired, 
and the governor (De Soto) returned through his country," that is, through 
the country of Casqui. Now De Soto passed through Casqui en rozite to 
Pacaha, and on his way lodged at two Casqui towns, one of them on a river, 
which must have been the White. The town was probably Indian Bay. The 
cacique of Casqui lent him canoes to cross, and two or three days afterwards 
he reached Quigate. The Casqui country was most probably the southern 
part of Phillips county, and Quigate in the southern part of Arkansas county. 
It may have been on Bayou Meta, or near where Toltec now stands. From 
Pacaha to Quigate the distance "may be an hundred leagues," was the con- 
jecture of the Knight of Elvas. No distances were measured ; it is difificult 
to estimate the length of the Portuguese or Spanish league as used by the 
historians. The distance from Aquixo through Pacaha and Quigate to 
Coligoa is estimated by the same writer in another place to be 150 leagues. 



20 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

Spaniards to be the largest town in Florida. One half 
of it the Spaniards occupied but the other half they 
burned, for fear of treachery. The Indians told De 
Soto that toward the northwest there was a town, Coli- 
goa, near the mountains. Thither the Spaniards turned 
their steps, traveling through a country filled with lakes 
and pools of shoal water, vast plains, and high moun- 
tains. The town was on the bank of a river, at the foot 
of a hill. The soil was rich and corn so plentiful that 
they threw away the old to harvest the new. The 
beans were classed as better than those of Spain and 
the " pompions " (pumpkins) roasted were said to have 
the taste of chestnuts. North of Coligoa the country 
was reported to be cold and thinly inhabited. The 
richest and most populous country was to the west and 
southwest and was called Cayas. 

Leaving Coligoa,^ De Soto's party turned southward, 
passed over a rough country, through two towns, Pal- 
isema and Tatalicoya,^ and finally reached Cayas, which 
was in a mountainous country. Here they tarried a 
month. The leaves of the maize were better there than 
any they had seen elsewhere. They found a lake of very 
hot water which the horses liked. Here also they made 
salt. 3 The Indians carried the salt over the country, 
exchanging it for skins and mantles. The following 
process illustrates the art which these Indians had 

1. Some writers place Coligoa in the northwestern part of Arkansas. This 
is hardly possible. It was fifty leagues (estimated) from Quigate, and the 
journey required eleven days. It was on the east side of the Ozarks on a 
"mean stream," most probably on some small stream in Jackson, Independ- 
ence, or Lawrence county. Cayas was about nine days' journey to the south 
and has been identified as Hot Springs. (See the Hot Springs legend.) 

2. This town was on a large river which flowed into the Mississippi, 
probably the Arkansas. 

3. This hot-water lake coupled with the salt wells identifies the Cayas 
country as the region along the Ouachita below Hot Springs. 




INDIAN NET WORK. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 2i 

attained: " They make it along the river, which when 
it ebbeth, leaveth it upon the upper part of the sand. 
And because they cannot take it without much sand 

mingled with it, they 
throw it into certain 
baskets which they have 
for that purpose, broad 
at the mouth and nar- 
row at the bottom, and 
set it in the air upon a 
bar, and throw water 
into it, and set a small 
vessel under it, wherein it falleth. Being strained 
and set to boil upon the fire, when the water is 
sodden away, the salt remaineth in the bottom of the 
pan." 

To the southwest was a populous region called Tula. 
Thither went De Soto over very high mountains. Here 
he found Indians ^ with whom his interpreters could 
not talk. They were brave and fought more savagely 
than any he had met. 

The Spaniards then went eastward and southeastward 
to the great towns of the Autiamque, ten days' journey 
from Tula. On the way they crossed rough mountains 
and passed a town called Quipana,^ where the Indians 
were very brave and savage. Autiamque was in a rich 
country and on the river of the Cayas.^ Here they 
spent the winter. This country was probably in what 
is now Union or Ashley county. From this point 
De Soto followed the Ouachita river to the Red river. 



1. A tribe of the Pani Indians, possibly the Caddo. 

2. Possibly Mound Prairie, in Hempstead county. 

3. The Ouachita. 



22 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

At the mouth of the Red river he died, and was buried 
in the Mississippi. 

De Soto entered the Arkansas region in June, 1541. 
This was twenty-four years before the founding of St. 
Augustine; forty-four years before the English landed 
in North Carolina; sixty-six years before the founding 
of Jamestown; and seventy-nine years before the land- 
ing of the Pilgrims. He found nearly all the Indians of 
Arkansas living in houses, tilling the soil, and engaged 
in the domestic arts. Biedma states that the caciques 
of Arkansas "make hills, on which they sometimes 
build their huts." This connects the historic Indians 
of the state of Arkansas with the prehistoric mound- 
building stocks of the United States. 




HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 23 

CHAPTER III. 

FRENCH EXPLORATIONS IN ARKANSAS. 

8. Marquette and Joliet, 1673. 10. De Tonti, 1686. 

9. La Salle, 1682. 11. Joutel, 1687. 

12. Settlement of Arkansas Post. 

8. Marquette and Joliet. Father Marquette, a mis- 
sionary of the Catholic Church, and Joliet, a rich mer- 
chant of Quebec, accompanied by five Frenchmen, were 
sent by the governor of Quebec to ascertain the course 
of the Mississippi river, and the place where it empties 
into the Gulf of Mexico. Father Marquette, who had 
lived for years among the Indians around the Great 
Lakes, had learned their languages, and had heard 
from them of a great river in the west called by the 
Indians, Meschaceba. 

On the 13th of May, 1673, the party left Mackinaw 
for Green Bay, in frail birch-bark canoes. Gomg up 
Fox river they reached the portage, the high ground 
between the headwaters of the Fox and Wisconsin 
rivers. Carrying their canoes over this they entered 
the Wisconsin and floated down its course to the Father 
of Waters. They then began their perilous voyage 
southward. Passing the mouths of the Missouri and 
the Ohio they at length came to a village in the 
Arkansas region, called Mitchigamea. The Indians 
of the village did not understand any of Marquette's 
languages. They were an Algonquin tribe. A lake 
near the St. Francis perpetuates their name. 

Eight leagues lower down the travelers disembarked 
at the "Arkansea " village on the "Arkansea." The 
Indians were courteous. An old man was found here 



24 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

who spoke the Illinois^ language and through him Mar- 
quette and his followers learned much of the country 
and of the sea. The Indians harvested three crops of 
Indian corn each year. The corn was roasted and 
boiled in large earthen pots. They served their meats 
in dishes. The cabins were wide and long, made from 
cedar, and covered with bark. The tops of the cabins 
were round, an indication that the dwellers belonged 
to the Dakotan stock. They slept on mats placed 
upon platforms two feet above the floor. Their corn 
cribs were panniers made from rushes. Their only 
fruit was the watermelon. Such were the people found 
by the French at the mouth of the Arkansas river, one 
hundred and thirty-two years after De Soto's visit. 
Marquette used the Algonquin or Illinois word, 
Arkansea^ for places which De Soto's historians ren- 
dered in the Indian's own language, Pacaha. On the 
17th of July, 1673, the explorers left the Akansa vil- 
lages and returned up the river. 

9. La Salle. Nine years later (1682), Robert Cava- 
lier de la Salle and Chevalier Henri de Tonti, accom- 
panied by a party of Frenchmen, descended the 
Mississippi to its mouth. They built a fort, called 
Prudhomme,^ at a point near where Memphis now 
stands; and then passed the river of Chipouteas (evi- 
dently the St. Francis) and the village of the Metsiga- 
meas (the Mitchegameas of Marquette). On the 12th 

1. It is to be noted that these Indians accounted for their hatchets, knives, 
and beads as coming from the nations to the east, and from the Illinois, "wA<? 
lived four days journey to the west." This would place them in the region of 
the Cayas of De Soto. This may account for the tradition told Nutall by the 
Quapaw chief in 1819. He said that when the Quapaws first came to this 
region, they found the country around Bayou Meta inhabited by a people of 
a greater civilization and lighter complexion. 

2, Ramsay, in his history of Tennessee, places the fort just below Memphis. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



25 



of March they arrived at the Kapaha ^ village of the 
Akansa. Here La Salle made peace with the Indians 
and took possession of the country in the name of 
France. On the 15th of March he passed another of 

their villages on the river, 
and two others farther 
off in the depths of the 
forest. 

Then he arrived at 
Imaha, the largest vil- 
lage of the nation, whose 
chief at once acknowl- 
edged that his village 
belonged to the king of 
France. Two Akansas^ 
conducted La Salle 
southward fifty leagues 
to the Taensas, allies of 
the Akansas. These In- 

LA SALLE. ,. ,, . J 

dians were well equipped 
with arms and supplies. In one village were seven 
hundred men bearing arms. Going on southwards 
La Salle discovered the mouths of the Mississippi, and 
then reascended the river to Illinois. 




1. The names used in this history are as given by the historians who 
accompanied these parties. De Soto used the word Pacaha. Marquette 
being a student of Illinois languages, used the Algonquin term Akansa^ and 
at no place has he used a Quapaw term. He said that the language was so 
difficult that although he tried he could not speak a word of it. (See note 2, 
page 10.) 

2. Mark this word. Here it is evidently a plural. In other places where 
Akansa is used it is singular. The terminal ".y"as used by these French 
writers denoted either a possessive or a plural. If the singular ^/^««ja, be 
pronounced without the termination j, how shall we pronounce the plural 
with this termination ? Is not the final j in the word Arkansas a silent letter. 
Jefferson in 1803, spelled the word ^^Arkanzay 



26 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

10. Chevalier Henri de Tonti. This great companion 
of La Salle wrote an account of this expedition which 
is full of interest to all Arkansas students. He says 
that after leaving Ft. Prudhomme the French continued 
their route to the village of Kappa. The people regaled 
the visitors with the best they had and danced the 
calumet dance (the peace dance) before La Salle. 
They were taken from Cappa (Tonti spelled it Kappa 
and Cappa) to three other villages Toyingan, Toriman 
and Osotonoy/ which were commonly called Akancas. 
The inhabitants worshiped animals. 

The country abounded in peach, plum, and apple 
trees; vines also flourished. Buffaloes, deer, bears, 
and turkeys were numerous, also domestic fowls. 
There was little snow in the winter and the ice was no 
thicker than a dollar. 

After La Salle had reascended the river, he went to 
France to obtain leave to colonize the country, from 
the mouth of the Mississippi. In 1686 De Tonti went 
down the Mississippi, expecting to meet the ships of 
La Salle. In this he was disappointed, however, as La 
Salle's expedition missed the mouth of the river and 
was wrecked on the shores of Texas. De Tonti, dis- 
couraged, turned back up the river and at the mouth 
of the Arkansas made a visit to his old friends, the 



I. De Tonti's work is of the greatest value in unraveling' our early history. 
The names he used are keys to the puzzle. The Quapaw Indians were 
removed to the Indian Territory, and in their new home have preserved the 
old names. They there have four villages : — 

1. Ugaqpaqti, or real Kappa — (Ukaqpaqti). 

2. Tiwadima, or the Toriman of Tonti and French authors. 

3. Uzutiuhe, or the Osotonoy of Tonti, and Osotchony, Osochi, Southonis 

of other Frenchmen. 

4. Tanwanzhika, or Toyingan of Tonti ; Topeiga, Tonginga, Donginga 

of others. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 27 

Kappas. So well pleased were the French with this 
neighborhood that some of De Tonti's men desired to 
remain, and establish a post. 

La Salle had previously granted De Tonti a seignory 
at this place and De Tonti accorded his permission. 
Six Frenchmen remained and built a house surrounded 
with stakes. This was in June, 1686, and was the first 
white settlement in what is now Arkansas and lower 
Louisiana. Its location was about three leagues 
below the present post of Arkansas on the Arkansas 
river. 

II. Joutel. La Salle, who by mistake went too far to 
the west, passed the mouth of the Mississippi, and, in 
January, 1685, landed on the Texan coast. Here two 
of his ships deserted and the others were lost. Left 
alone in this wild region he made the best of his mis- 
fortunes. He built a fort and for two years tried to 
support himself by tilling the soil. In 1687 he deter- 
mined to march overland to the Mississippi. He was 
accompanied by seventeen companions, among whom 
was Joutel, the annalist of the expedition. On the 
banks of the Trinity river La Salle was murdered by 
two of his companions who were tired of his leadership. 

Joutel, with nine of the party, pushed on to the north- 
east. For three months they pursued their way, 
being well treated by all Indians they met, and were 
finally (July 24th, 1687) overjoyed to find the settle- 
ment of De Tonti, and to meet two men of their own 
race. As they neared the river and looked across, 
they saw a great cross and a house built after the 
fashion of the French. In simple language Joutel 
describes the scene: "It is easy to imagine what 
inward joy we conceived at the sight of the sign of our 



28 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

salvation. We knelt down, lifting up our hands and 
eyes to heaven to return thanks to the Divine Good- 
ness for having conducted us so happily." 

The two original Arkansas settlers, ^ Coutere and De 
Launay, when they saw the newcomers, shot off their 
guns as a salute. Several days were passed at this 
point and long-enduring friendships were formed with 
the Indians. One of the party, Bartholomew from 
Paris, remained with the other Frenchmen. 

12. Settlement of Arkansas Post. Thus began the 
settlement of Arkansas, at Arkansas, or Arkansas Post, 
as a part of the province of Louisiana, twelve years 
before Sauvolle, the first French colonial governor, 
entered upon the discharge of his duties, and twelve 
years before the building of DTberville's fort at Biloxi. 
Emigrants from New France (Canada) arrived from 
time to time, but the development of Arkansas Post 
was slow. In early territorial days it was a place of 
importance, but it has long since sunk into decay. 

Note. — In Coxe's Carolana, an English work, is found this 
additional matter. ' ' The Arkansas and White Rivers unite so as 
to form an island. Upon this island dwell the Torimans. The 
southerly river is called the Ousoutiwy (Arkansas), upon which 
dwell first the Arkansas a great nation; higher up upon the 
same river dwell the Kansae, Mintou, Erabacha and others. 
The river to the north is named Niska (White) upon which live 
a part of the Osages; near its mouth is the nation Tonginga, a 
part of the Arkansas. 

"Ten leagues higher on the Mississippi is a small river 
named Cappa and upon it a people of the same name and 
another called Ouesperies, who fled from the persecution of the 
Irocois. [The Ouesperies are evidently the Yeasqui of 

I. The other four not hearing from De Tonti or La Salle, returned north- 
ward to Fort St. Louis. Joutel names the villages : Otsochone, Toriman, 
Tongamga on the Arkansas, and Cappa on the Mississippi. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 29 

Biedma, and the Casqui of the Knight of Elvas. There was a 
small river between them which the cacique of the Casqui 
bridged with logs, and a railing attached to stakes.] Ten miles 
higher is a little river named Matchicebe [evidently the St. 
Francis] upon which dwell the nations Mitchigamea and Epi- 
minguia; over against whom is the great nation of the Chicka- 
zas. Twenty-five leagues higher is the river and nation. 
Sypouri." This distance corresponds very nearly with that to 
Pecan Point. From all these authorities it is certain that De 
Soto crossed not far above the mouth of the White river and 
not at the Lowest Chickasaw Bluff which is above Pacaha. 

The scheme of Coxe to form a great English province along 
the southern Mississippi banks under the name Carolana, was 
started in 1699 and based upon Hennepin's pretended discovery 
of the Mississippi. The ships of Coxe were met in the Missis- 
sippi by DTberville, who claimed the country by right of occu- 
pancy, as well as of discovery, and the English ships turned back. 
The place is stiil called " English Turn." 

The province of Carolana was created by a grant by Charles I. 
to Sir Robert Heath, and passed from him to the Earl of Arun- 
del, and thence to D. Coxe. Carolana and Carolina are distinct 
provinces, the east of Carolana joining the west of Carolina. 
It extended from 31 to 36 degrees of north latitude, and from 
the Atlantic Ocean to New Mexico. This charter was granted 
to Heath about thirty years before the one granted by Charles H. 
to Carolina. Coxe fitted out several expeditions to explore his 
territory, one of which, commanded by Capt. Barr, sailed up the 
Mississippi in 1698. This was the first English expedition up 
that river. The English province Carolana corresponded to the 
Spanish Florida, and the French, La Louisiane. 

Penicault, a French annalist of Louisiana from 1699 to 1704, 
says that Lemoyne D'lberville sailed up the Mississippi in 1699, 
and eight leagues above the mouth of the Arkansas found the 
nation of the Arkansas, and two other nations called Torimas 
and Kappas. Margry also mentions another Akansa village, 
named Imahao." 



30 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

CHAPTER IV. 

FRENCH DOMINATION. 

13. Spanish Priests. 17. Exploration of the Arkansas. 

11. The First Mission. 18. Indian Wars. 

15. The French Governors. 19. End of French Control. 

16. The Company of the West. 20. Effects of French Control. 

13. Spanish Priests. These Christian priests were 
with De Soto's party when it entered the Arkansas 
region, but as they had lost their chalices and vest- 
ments in the battle of Mauvilla (Mobile), it is not 
probable that the full services of their order were held 
in Arkansas. It is probable, however, that devotional 
exercises were frequently held and efforts made to 
teach the Indians the Christian religion. 

Father Marquette was a French priest of the Jesuit 
order; his whole life was zealously given to the Chris- 
tian elevation of the savages. Father Membre came 
with La Salle and in the full robes of his office recited 
prayers and sang the hymns of the Church among the 
Kappas. He said of the natives: " They are a lively, 
civil, and generous people, very different from the cold 
and taciturn Indians of the north." In the party of 
Joutel were two priests who remained at Arkansas Post 
from May until August, 1687. During all these days 
songs and prayers were heard, and instruction given 
concerning the Christian religion. 

14. The First Mission. Chevalier Henri de Tonti, the 
founder of Arkansas, desired to make the little settle- 
ment on the Arkansas permanent. To this end, he 
granted the Church a site for a mission. The deed 
was given at Fort St. Louis in what is now Illinois, 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 31 

Nov. 20, 1689, and called for several thousand acres 
of land near Arkansas Post, on both sides of the river. 
De Tonti agreed also to support a missionary for 
three years out of his own funds. The Church was to 
send missionaries to instruct the Indians, and to show 
them better methods of agriculture. 

Father AUouez, the great Huron missionary, was 
probably the first to come under this arrangement, and 
from this time on until 1699 regular services were held 
in the wilderness at the mouth of the Arkansas. 

De Tonti never lost interest in the new settlement. 
He was said to be a soldier without fear and a man 
without guile. He died at Biloxi in 1704. The Quapaw 
settlements by this time were well known in Canada 
and Louisiana and were regularly visited by all priests 
ascending or descending the river. During the whole 
of the eighteenth century ^ these priests labored among 
the Indians of Arkansas, undergoing suffering and death 
in order that the savages might acquire the ennobling 
influences of the Christian faith. 

15. The French Governors. From 1699 to 1766 the 
French had control of the province of Louisiana, the 
vast region extending on the west side of the Missis- 
sippi from its headwaters to the Gulf of Mexico. 
During this period there were thirteen governors, ^ the 

1. The whole French population of what is now Arkansas was only ig6 in 
1785 ; in 1799 it had increased to 368. 

2. SauvoUe, 1699-1701. Perier, 1726-1732. ^ 
Bienville, 1701-1713. Bienville {3rd term), 1732-1743. 
DuMays. De Vaudreuil, 1743-1753. 
Cadillac, 1713-1716. Kerlerec, 1753-1763- 

De L'Epinay, 1716-1718. D'Abbadie, 1763-1765. 

Bienville (2d term), 1718-1724. Capt. Aubry, 1765-1766. 

Boisbriant, 1724-1726. 
The first two were brothers. There was a third brother greater than either 
of these. This was Pierre Lemoyne, the Sieur d' Iberville (Dib-er veel) The 



32 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

greatest of whom was Bienville, who held office for 
nearly thirty years. He was justly called " Father of 
Louisiana." 

The second settlement in Louisiana was at Biloxi, 
1699. After this many settlements were begun; the 
principal ones being, Mobile, 1701; Natchez, 1716; 
Natchitoches, 1717, and New Orleans, 1718. 

In 1722 Louisiana was divided into nine districts or 
commands: New Orleans, Biloxi, Alabamons (now 
Alabama), Natchez, Yazoo, Natchitoches, Arkansas,^ 
and Illinois. The leading towns in Illinois were Ft. 
Chartres, Kaskaskia, and Vincennes. The Illinois dis- 
trict or Upper Louisiana exported to New Orleans flour, 
corn, bacon, hams, tallow, leather, lead, fowls, and 
hides. Thus early was the Mississippi a great artery 
of trade — a blessing to the people who lived near it. 
(1720-1766.) Every year added strength to the inter- 
course and friendship of Canada and Louisiana. 

16. The Company of the "West, or the Mississippi Com- 
pany. In 1 71 7 the king of France granted to this 
company a monopoly of all the trade in the Mississippi 
country, on the condition that it should colonize and 
develop it.^ The corporation was organized by a 

words, " Sieur d' Iberville " formed his title, by which he was to be called 
rather than by his name. D'Iberville explored the rivers and lakes of Louisi- 
ana in 1698 and 1699, and was the moving spirit of its early colonization. 
Antoine LeMoyne was known as De SauvoUe ; Jean Baptiste Lemoyne, 
as De Bienville. 

1. John Hebrard, alcade of the province of Louisiana from 1787 to 1791, 
gave the boundary for the command of Arkansas as follows : Beginning at a 
place called Little Prairie, about forty miles below New Madrid, and extend- 
ing southward along the Mississippi to Point Coupee, and westward so as to 
include all the waters tributary to the Mississippi. 

2. Six thousand white men and 3,000 negroes were to be brought to 
Louisiana. This was the beginning of slavery in this province. Bienville 
drew up a code of laws for their control, which was in force until 1803, 
Humane treatment was required. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 33 

famous financier, named John Law, and was a part of 
a still greater scheme, which was expected to enrich 
France. It promised much, performed little, and at 
last ended in disaster. It has ever since been called 
"The Mississippi Bubble." Emigration was sought 
for, but little came. 

In 17 18 Law obtained a tract of land four leagues 
square on the Arkansas river and settled on it a large 
party of Germans. This settlement was on the north 
side of the river about seven miles above Arkansas 
Post.^ In the depths of the forest the settlers found 
a beautiful plain surrounded by fertile valleys, and a 
little stream of fine, clear, wholesome water. They 
built pavilions for the officers, cabins for the men, and 
large storehouses. Everything was prospering when 
news came that Law had failed. This discouraged the 
settlers and they returned to New Orleans, where they 
chose other lands and formed the German colony. 

17. Exploration of the Arkansas and of Eastern Louisiana. 
In 1722, a French officer, La Harpe,^ was sent to 
explore the Arkansas river. He started from Arkan- 
sas Post, visited the German settlement, and went on 
to Le Roche Frangais, now called Big Rock and situated 
just above the capital of the- state. He then ascended 
the river about four hundred miles and made a map of 
it. He also explored the country for many leagues 
upon each side and returned to New Orleans. 

1. Bancroft most eloquently says: " To Law himself there was conceded 
on the Arkansas one of those vast prairies, of which the wide-spreading 
waves of verdure are bounded only by the azure of the sky. There he 
designed to plant a city and villages." One can but regret that the bubble 
burst so soon. 

2. La Harpe had in 1719, upon an expedition up Red river, established a 
village, Natsoo, probably in Hempstead county, at or near the confluence of 
Little river with Red river. 

HIST. OF ARK. — 3 



34 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

Between the years 1716 and 1745 Ranault explored 
the region from Arkansas Post north to St. Genevieve, 
in search of silver. Lead was found upon the Upper St. 
Francis, and for eighty years the digging went on from 
the northern part of Clay county to St. Genevieve. In 
Clay county many of the old smelters with their stone 
bottoms are to be seen to-day. No silver was found, but 
lead proved to be abundant. The mine A la Motte on 
the St. Francis was discovered and worked in 1724. 

18. Indian Wars. From 1720 to 1750 the country 
was disabled by Indian wars. The Akansa and the 
Choctaw Indians were friendly to the French, while the 
Chickasaws and the Natchez were their enemies. In 
1724 the Louisiana Committee of Inspection recom- 
mended the suspension of Arkansas Post as a military 
post, but it was not acted upon. In 1729 the Natchez 
tribes rose against the French and massacred the 
whole garrison at Fort Rosalie,^ now Natchez. The 
French then broke up the Natchez villages and dis- 
persed them among the Chickasaws. Thus ended the 
Natchez tribe. 

In 1731 a barge containing stores and reinforcements 
for Arkansas Post was attacked on the Arkansas river 
by the Chickasaws and Natchez. Two French officers 
were killed, but the Indians were repulsed. The 
Chickasaws were the most powerful nation in the valley 
and had their great home in northern Mississippi and 
western Tennessee. 



1. Father Du Poisson, the missionary at Arkansas Post, was on his way to 
New Orleans to report the needs of his mission to Governor Perrier, and had 
stopped at Natchez. He preached on Sunday, visited the sick, and was killed 
as he returned from the bedside of a dying man. The Quapaws vowed that 
they would avenge his death with a vengeance that should never end. More 
than two hundred victims were massacred. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS, 35 

In 1736 two forces, one from the Illinois country 
under D'Artaguette and another from New Orleans 
under Bienville, moved to attack the Chickasaws in 
northern Mississippi. In the northern party were thirty- 
eight Akansa Indians; also Chicago, the great chief of 
the Illinois Indians. This party arrived first. Without 
waiting they attacked the enemy near Pontotoc, Mis- 
sissippi, May 20, and were defeated. The Miami and 
Illinois Indians deserted, but the Akansas fought to 
the last. The leader and many other captives were 
tied to stakes and burned alive. 

One week later Bienville arrived from the south only 
to meet with another defeat. While preparing a new ex- 
pedition he erected Ft. St. Francis (1739) ^^ Arkansas as 
a rendezvous, and garrisoned it. This fort was at the 
mouth of the St. Francis river. Here the whole French 
army of more than 1,200 white men and twice that 
number of Indians and negroes gathered in June, 1739. 
From this point Bienville crossed the Mississippi river 
and built a fort (Assumption) on Wolf river in Tennessee, 
(on Chickasaw Bluff). Here he remained nearly a year, 
until the Chickasaws sued for peace and put an end to 
the war. Not a battle was fought. Fort St. Francis 
and Fort Assumption were destroyed. Up to this 
time no permanent settlement had been made at the 
Bluff. 

19. End of French Control. At the close of the French 
and Indian war (see United States History), the French 
ceded Canada to England (Feb. 10, 1763, treaty of Paris), 
and Louisiana was ceded by France to Spain (Nov. 2, 
1762). England obtained by the treaty of Paris the 
port and river Mobile, and all the country on the eastern 
bank of the Mississippi from its source to the Iberville 



36 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

river (now Bayou Manchac). Spain obtained the city 
of New Orleans and the surrounding country south of 
the Iberville river on the eastern side of the Mississippi, 
and all on the western side from its mouth to the 
extreme west and north. Spain did not want the 
country, but took it to keep it from the English. 

France lost all her North American possessions. In 
1763 Spain ceded to England the whole of Florida, by 
which England gained the nominal control of the whole 
territory east of the Mississippi, except the island of 
Orleans. In 1765 England attached all of the territory 
north of the Yazoo river to the Illinois district. 

20. Effects of French Control. During this long period 
the only emigration to what is now Arkansas was by 
the French from Canada or Louisiana. The people 
were polite, scholarly, and refined. They were Chris- 
tians and alive to the interests of the Church. Although 
few in number, their influence on the future state was 
great and is still felt. The descendants of these people 
are in all parts of the state carrying the family names 
of their French ancestors. 

They have left their story also in the names of settle- 
ments, towns, townships, bayous, creeks, rivers, hills, 
mountains, and prairies, in all parts of southern and 
eastern Arkansas. They gave us the word, Mississippi, 
the French for the Indian Meschasebe. In like man- 
ner they took the Algonquin word, Akansa, and by a 
slight change, coined the word, Arkansas, which they 
applied to our principal river. The names, New Gas- 
cony, St. Mary's, St. Francis, Bois D'Arc, L'Anguille, 
D'Ann, Fourche, Bogy, Little Rock, Decipher, La 
Grue, Des Arc, Bartholomew, Boeff, Fourche la Fave, 
St. Charles, Ouachita, Poteau, Petit Jean, Ecore Fabre, 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 37 

and hundreds of others greet us on all sides either 
in pure French, or with an Indian root in French form. 
Arkansas has had little cause to weep over her French 
sons, and they will always stand as a reminder of her 
former allegiance to France, In the language of Ban 
crott, " France obtained, under providence, the guard- 
ianship of Louisiana, not, as it proved, for her own 
benefit, but rather as trustee for the infant nation by 
which it was one day to be inherited." 




38 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

CHAPTER V. 

SPANISH DOMINATION, 1762-180O. 

21. Spanish Governors. 24. American Independence. 

22. The Revolution. 25. Troubles over the Mississippi. 

23. The Cruel O'Reilly. 26. Internal Policy. 

27. Retrocession to France. 

21. Spanish Governors. As stated before, Spain 
acquired title to Louisiana by the treaty of Paris, and 
she held dominion over it until 1800, when it was again 
ceded to France. The Spaniards, in no haste to take 
possession of their new country, allowed D'Abbadie 
and Capt. Aubry, the last French governors, to remain 
in control for nearly four years. The Indian allies of 
France, who lived in the Mississippi valley, resented 
the action of France in ceding this valley to England. 
They maintained that the king of France " had no 
right to transfer them, like so many cattle, to any new 
white chief." Many of these tribes came to New 
Orleans with all their goods and were granted lands on 
the western bank of the Mississippi. 

The cession of Louisiana to Spain was kept secret 
and the colonists did not hear of the transfer until 
October, 1764. Then it was their turn to be indignant. 
They met in convention and passed a resolution to 
appeal to Louis XV. not to separate them from the 
mother country. Jean Milhet, the richest merchant in 
the colony, was sent to France to present this petition 
to the king. Milhet sought out Bienville, then in his 
86th year, and together they went to the prime minis- 
ter. There Bienville, with tears in his eyes, made a 
most eloquent plea for the colony he had planted, and 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 39 

begged that it might be allowed to remain under French 
control ; but the course of events had made it impossible 
for his plea to be granted. Bienville took his failure 
much to heart and died soon thereafter, from depres- 
sion caused by his discouragement. Thus passed away 
the greatest of the old French governors, the ** Father 
of Louisiana." In March, 1766, Governor UUoa,^ the 
first of the Spanish line, reached New Orleans. 

22. The Revolution. 2 Don Antonio de Ulloa en- 
tered New Orleans without welcome. The French 
settlers, loyal to their mother country, were unable to 
see the wisdom of the transfer to Spain, and unwilling to 
submit to foreign leadership. Therefore they decided 
to declare their independence. " If we cannot be 
French, and will not be Spaniards, let us be Louisiani- 
ans," thought they. The time was ripe for movements 
toward freedom; men the world over were beginning 
to resent acts of oppression and tyranny. And in the 
New World, far down on the Mississippi, this impulse 
for freedom was first to express itself in action. 

Ulloa landed during a violent thunder storm, only to 
find himself in the midst of a greater political storm. 
He refused to recognize the time-honored Council of 
State, and would deal with nobody but Governor 
Aubry. By restricting the trade of the colony to cer- 
tain ports of Spain, he aroused the French to action. 
The garrison refused to enter the Spanish service, and 

1. Spanish Governors : 

Ulloa, 1766-68. Miro, 1785-92. 

Capt Aubry, 1768-69. Carondelet, 1792-97- 

Gen. O' Reilly, 1769-70. Gayoso, 1797-99- 

Unzaga, 1770-77. Casa Calvo, 1799-1801. 

Galvez, 1777-85. Salcedo, 1801-1803. 

2. The population of the Arkansa villages by the census of 1766 was 88. 



40 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

the people ignored the commands of Ulloa and refused 
to recognize him as governor; they obeyed no one but 
Aubry and through him Ulloa was compelled to issue 
his commands. In despair Ulloa finally retired to 
Balize where he remained for two years. 

It was then proposed to make Louisiana a republic. 
The people from the country parishes crowded to New 
Orleans and instituted a popular assembly. They 
drew up an address to the Superior Council, in which 
they demanded freedom of commerce with all the ports 
of America and France, and insisted on the expulsion 
of Ulloa. This address, signed by nearly six hundred 
citizens, was adopted by the Council and the governor 
was given three days to leave the country. The old 
French flag was unfurled on the streets amid the accla- 
mations of men, women, and children. Nine hundred 
men raised it to the breeze, shouting as its folds 
unfurled like waves on the sea, " Long live the king of 
France; we will have no king but him." Ulloa sailed 
for Havana (Nov., 1768) and the people began their 
new government. They elected a treasurer and officers 
to represent the colony, and sent envoys to the king 
of France, asking him to intercede with the king of 
Spain, to grant them permission to become either a 
colony of France or a free commonwealth.^ 

23. The Cruel O'Reilly, Meanwhile Ulloa had sent 
his report to the king of Spain, who referred it to his 



I. This was the beginning of that colonial revolution, which in a few years 
terminated in the independence of the English colonies. France saw the 
weakness of the old system ; she saw also that the best way to vanquish her 
old enemy, England, was by encouraging colonial freedom. A great French- 
man, on hearing of the deposition of Ulloa, said : " This is at least a good 
example for the English colonies; may they set about following it." This 
they did in 1774. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 41 

Council. This body with but one dissenting vote 
declared that Louisiana must be retained as a store- 
house for Havana, a means to destroy the trade of 
France, and a barrier to keep off English encroach- 
ments by the line of the great river. The king accepted 
this decision and resolved to stamp out the spark of 
independence before it had time to enkindle his other 
American colonies. It was the same ungenerous spirit 
that actuated the king of England to refuse the peti- 
tions of his colonies and to inaugurate a system of 
coercions which terminated in the Stamp Act and the 
American Revolution. France alone read aright the 
signs of the times, and in its Cabinet deliberations 
applauded the action of New Orleans in declaring its 
port open to men of all nations. 

The king of Spain, however, said, " The world must 
see that I, unaided, can crush the audacity of the 
sedition." He made no preparations at Cadiz for fear 
of arousing France's suspicions, but secretly dis- 
patched Gen. Alexander O'Reilly to Cuba with direc- 
tions to crush out the sentiments of liberty at New 
Orleans. And he could have sent no better man. 
O'Reilly united in his person the qualities of Caesar, 
Nero, and Judas. 

With three thousand of the best troops of the 
Spanish army he landed at Balize on August 8, 1769. 
In order to lull the patriots into inaction, O'Reilly 
caused a proclamation to be submitted by Aubry^ 
promising kindness and clemency to all who would 
submit. As they had but few soldiers and no money, 
submission, under these conditions, seemed the only 
hope. O'Reilly's promises sounded fair. A deputa- 
tion waited on him at Balize and agreed to rec- 



42 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

ognize his authority. With treacherous shrewdness 
he made promises that gained the admiration of 
the deputies. On the 8th of August the fleet moved 
up to New Orleans and the Spanish flag was raised on 
every fort. 

On August 21 he invited the leading patriots to 
dine at his own house. There, disregarding both laws 
of hospitality and of honor, he caused them to be 
arrested and to be placed under confinement. They 
were tried and twelve of them — among the wisest and 
best men in the colony — were convicted. Their 
estates were confiscated and divided among the officers 
employed in the trial. Six were sentenced to long 
periods of imprisonment, one, who had died during 
confinement, was declared infamous, and five were to 
be hanged. A negro slave, in default of a hangman, 
was offered his liberty if he would perform the work. 
He was manly enough to refuse, and therefore the 
patriots were shot.^ Thus ended the first American 
republic; thus began the domination of Spain. Had it 
continued long, the western bank of the Mississippi 
might have become a desert waste. ^ 

24. American Independence. The governor abolished 
the Council of State and instituted in its stead another 
council called the Cabildo. To overcome the strong 
opposition to his government, engendered by the exe- 
cution of the French patriots, O'Reilly appointed 



1. Two slaves who had belonged to one of the executed leaders were 
ordered to perform their duties in the house of O'Reilly. This they refused 
to do, saying : "We will never serve our master's assassin." This was an 
instance of courage of the highest character, and was all the more conspicu- 
ous because exhibited by slaves. 

2. The political principles of Spain would have kept out all immigration 
save the Spaniards, and there were too few of them to colonize a country. 



HISTOR Y OF A RKA NSA S. 43 

Frenchmen to many of the places. The French colo- 
nial laws were set aside and the Spanish laws sub- 
stituted. The French commanders at the various posts 
were retained, and free trade was established with 
Cuba. 0'Reill)^'s policy with the Indians was just and 
honorable, and his whole rule was friendly and impartial 
to the French, save for the perfidious and cruel acts 
with which it began. 

During the administration of his successor the war 
between England and her colonies broke out, and Louisi- 
ana was drawn into the struggle. Several American 
merchants purchased at New Orleans a large supply of 
arms and ammunition which they shipped to Pennsyl- 
vania. In 1779 war was declared between England 
and Spain, and Governor Galvez, with a large force of 
Louisianians captured Fort Manchac and Baton Rouge 
from the English. They also captured eight vessels 
and three forts. Many of the Acadians engaged with 
Galvez and were very bitter against the English. The 
Creoles and negroes fought with the greatest bravery. 

In 1780 Galvez appeared with a larger force before 
Mobile, which quickly surrendered. Pushing on to 
Pensacola despite the firing from the great English forts, 
he entered the bay. Day after day he bombarded the 
forts with but little effect, as they were usually strong. 
By accident, however, a powder magazine blew up in 
Fort George, making a breach through which a detach- 
ment of troops entered and captured it. Then turning 
the English guns upon the English, Galvez soon forced 
a surrender. Gen. Campbell and eight hundred regu- 
lars were made prisoners of war. This was a splendid 
victory, and although fought under the Spanish flag 
was a blow which contributed much to the success of 



44 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

American independence. Galvez was a brave man and 
the greatest of the Spanish governors. 

By the treaty of peace between the American colo- 
nies and England, and by a treaty made in September, 
1783, between England, France, and Spain, the latter 
gained western Florida; the United States gained the 
free navigation of the Mississippi from its source to its 
mouth. ^ 

25. Troubles over the Mississippi. Don Estevan Miro 
succeeded to the government in 1785, and took a 
census of Louiciana, which showed that the district of 
Arkansas contained 196 people. The Sixth Regiment 
of the Spanish army, under command of Don Joseph 
Valliere, was permanently stationed at Arkansas Post 
for the defense of the district of Arkansas. The 
Americans on the east side of the river complained 
that they were not enjoying the free navigation of the 
Mississippi as stipulated by the treaty, and threatened 
to invade Louisiana and to seize New Orleans. 

In 1787 a scheme was formed to separate the Ameri- 
cans of Kentucky and the other territory west of the 
Alleghany mountains from the United States, and to 
put them under the protection of Spain. It was 
arranged that Kentucky should first become a republic 
and after that a Spanish province. The difficulty grew 
out of the delay of the American Congress in admitting 
Kentucky into the Union. Congress was making a 
new Constitution and did not think it proper to admit 
new states until that instrument should be in opera- 

I. This treaty gave the United States all the land east of the Mississippi 
and north of the 31st parallel. This placed Chickasaw Bluflf within the 
boundaries of the state of North Carolina. In 1783, at Hillsboro, N. C, the 
first grant of lands upon the blufis conveyed to John Rice five thousand 
acres. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 45 

tion. Many of Kentucky's citizens, believing that Con- 
gress intended to deceive them, demanded a separation 
from the United States. But the majority of Ken- 
tuckians were faithful to the Union and decided to wait 
patiently. The Spanish governor to increase the 
discontent offered liberal inducements to the excited 
backwoodsmen in the shape of free lands and no 
taxes, and many Americans emigrated to and settled 
in Louisiana.^ 

In 1789 the town of New Madrid was formed by Col. 
George Morgan of Ohio on a land grant obtained from 
the Spanish authorities. It was not long before this 
town had a greater population than all Arkansas. ^ 

1. It was about this time that a new route from New Orleans to New 
Madrid was projected by the Spaniards. It was all water save for a few 
portages, and used the Mississippi, the Ouachita, Bayou Bartholomew, the 
Arkansas, White and St. Francis rivers, and White Water creek. 

2. From 1792 to 1799, during the administration of Carondelet and Gayoso, 
many grants were made to Americans for lands in Arkansas, which brought 
new families to the state. Prominent among these arrivals were the Winters, 
Stillwells, and Phillipses. Hewes Scull, another American, came in 1802. The 
old families of French extraction, Bogy, Vaugine, Varsier, De Chassin, 
Bonn, Clossein and Notrebe antedate all these arrivals. In 1766 Fran9ois 
D* Armand entered the province of Louisiana, and fixed his residence on the 
Mississippi river above the mouth of the White, at what was afterwards 
called Montgomery's Landing. Here he acquired great wealth as a trader 
in furs, and also an influence that extended to all parts of the country. The 
houses of D'Armand were still standing in 1833. The property passed into 
the hands of Gen. William Montgomery, and became one of the most 
widely known landings in Arkansas. A French settlement was made near 
Clover Bend in Lawrence county, prior to 1800. The grant was made to 
John Baptiste Janis, and was held valid by the United States. Lauratown 
was established upon this grant a few years later. The French settlers were 
headed by Antoine Janis. The Vincents (Vinsons), Le Bass's, Le Mieux, and 
Janis's are still represented in Lawrence county. Another valid grant to 
Peter Guignolett lies near the present town of Portia, in the same county. 
Buried treasure amounting to nearly $400 in Spanish coin was plowed up in a 
newly cleared field on the grant at Lauratown, a few years since. From 
Lauratown, on the banks of the Black, down to the mouth of the White, many 
old French settlements were made during last century, but all traces are now 
obliterated. These traces existed, however, at the beginning of this century, 



46 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

When Kentucky was admitted to the Union all griev- 
ance against the United States was healed, but the 
Spanish authorities still continued their efforts to create 
dissension between the men of the west and the general 
government. At one time it appeared as though 
western North Carolina (Tennessee) and Mississippi 
would pass under the control of Spain, In 1785, Gov. 
Gayoso, with a small force, which he had gathered at 
Post Esperanza (now Hopefield), crossed the Mississippi 
into the United States, at the mouth of Wolf Bayou 
(Margot), and hoisted the Spanish flag, which he saluted 
from his boats and from his battery. This occurred on 
St. Ferdinand's day, and the name St. Ferdinand was 
given to the fort he afterwards erected on the bluff. 

Gen. Wilkinson in 1797 sent Capt. Guion with a de- 
tachment of soldiers to take the post, and it was captured 
in July of that year. The Spanish commandant evacu- 
ated the fort at the approach of Guion. Had the latter 
arrived one day later the presents sent by Gayoso to 
Post Esperance ^ blankets, shirts, hats, powder, lead, 
muskets, tomahawks, saddles, and bridles — for distri- 
bution among the Chickasaws around Ft. Ferdinand 
would have done their work, and the friendship of the 
Indians with the United States would have ceased. 
The Spanish boats came in sight eight hours after 
Guion's landing. Shortly after the fall of Ft. Ferdi- 
nand, the Spaniards evacuated Ft. Adams (Natchez), 
thus terminating the Spanish occupancy of any part of 
the territory ceded to the United States. 

26. Internal Policy. The general administration of 
the province was placed in the hands of a governor 
stationed at New Orleans, with a lieutenant-governor at 
St. Louis. Under these were commandants of districts. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 47 

each district having one. The early commandants 
for the district of Arkansas at Arkansas Post are not 
known. The earliest records extant show that Capt. 
Chalmette was in command in 1780, and that Capt. 
Don Joseph Valliere was probably the commandant from 
1786 to 1790; Don Carlos Villemont was his successor 
and held the place until 1801. Following him came 
Francis Caso y Luengo, in 1802-1803. Ignace el Leno 
was in command as late as 1804. In 1802-1803 Camp 
Esperance had Augustin Grande for its commandant. ^ 

Lands were granted by the commandants or lieuten- 
ant-governors without survey, but the grants did not 
become valid until after a survey and an approval by 
the governor-general at New Orleans. Many of these 
imperfect titles were made, purporting to convey 
immense tracts of land, but as they were never sur- 
veyed and never approved, they became worthless. 
Every valid grant made under the Spanish law was 
held to be a perfect title under the laws of the United 
States. The courts of the country during all this cen 
tury have been forced to consider these old claims and 
to adjust them in accordance with the law as it existed 
under the Spanish government. The Sf^anish surveys 
are numerous around Arkansas Post and Marion, and 
exist at other places. They form an exception to the 
regular United States surveys of the rest of the state. 

The regulations of the Spanish government were too 
strict for any very rapid settlement. Before any settle- 
ment could be made in any part of the district of 



I. Camp Esperance, or Post Esperanza, was the lower limit of Upper 
Louisiana. When the United States took possession the name was changed 
to Hope Encampment, and then to Hopefield. This makes the village of 
Hopefield the second town established in Arkansas. 



48 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

Arkansas, permission had to be obtained from the 
proper Spanish officer at Arkansas Post or at Esperance. 
People already located were forbidden to travel from 
one village to another, at a distance greater than 
twenty miles, without a passport from the command- 
ant, stating the places to be visited and the road to be 
traveled. 

Notwithstanding these restrictions, settlements were 
begun on the rich lands along the river courses in 
many parts of eastern and southern Arkansas. The 
houses, many of which were standing in 1830, were 
of French architecture, having high, pointed roofs 
and gables, with high chimneys. By their sides stood 
the ruins of older houses with trees growing through 
their roofs and chimneys. The French who pushed 
far up the rivers to begin these new settlements often 
intermarried with the Indians, and their Creole de- 
scendants are still to be found in many parts of the 
state. John B. Dardenne proceeded up the Arkansas 
and found a home in the plain around Dardanelle. 
Michel Grenlick followed him in 1798. Francis Imban 
built his cabin at Little Rock in 1803. Francis Fran- 
cure settled on the White river below the mouth of the 
Red river in 1801, while Peter Mulliki went on up the 
Little Red river. 

In 1793, John B. Gravier and his brother Francis 
settled on the Black river. Near him lived Anthony 
Janis, with his family of seven. Janis was still there 
in 1801, and in 181 1, he and his children, Nicholas, 
Francis, and John Baptiste, tried to receive from the 
United States a recognition of their claims to the land. 
Failing in this attempt, they sold their rights to a 
speculator who succeeded in obtaining a deed to the 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 49 

lands. Joseph Guignolett settled near Janis in 1800, 
but the title to his land was not perfected for more 
than three quarters of a century. 

27. Retrocession to France. The control of Louisiana 
had become a burden to Spain. The Americans 
demanded much and threatened more. Just at this 
time Napoleon Bonaparte conceived the idea that 
Louisiana in the hands of the French would make 
France a formidable power in America. He nego- 
tiated with the king of Spain, who was glad of an 
opportunity to relinquish control of this unprofitable 
territory, and on Oct. i, 1800, at St. Ildefonso, 
a secret treaty was made by which Spain retro- 
ceded the whole country to France. Spain believed 
that France would form a rampart protecting Mexico 
from America. The treaty was kept secret because 
France was then at war with England and did not desire 
her enemy to attack her new colony. Thus ended the 
real Spanish rule in Arkansas. 



CHAPTER VI. 

THE LAST DAYS OF SPAIN AND FRANCE. 
28. The Louisiana Purchase. 29. Possession Passed. 

28. The Louisiana Purchase. By the treaty between 
England and Spain (1783), all Americans obtained the 
right to deposit their produce in New Orleans without 
payment of duty. Although Louisiana had been ceded 
to France in 1800, the Spanish authorities were still in 

HIST, OF ARK. — 4 



50 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

possession in the year 1802. In that year one of the 
Spanish officers issued a proclamation prohibiting the 
further use of the port of New Orleans as a place of 
deposit. This raised a storm of indignation in the 
Mississippi valley, as it virtually closed the river to all 
commerce coming from its eastern side. The indigna- 
tion in all the western states was expressed in warlike 
resolutions. They said: " The Mississippi is ours 
by the law of nature. It is our streams that swell it 
and make it so mighty, and we are resolved that no 
power in this world shall deprive us of this right. ' ' They 
appealed to Thomas Jefferson, President of the United 
States, to protect them in their rights, and closed the 
appeal with the threatening words, " No protection, 
no allegiance." 

Jefferson addressed the Spanish government upon 
the question and demanded compliance with the treaty. 
Then he ascertained that the country had been ceded 
T to France. He at once forwarded instructions to 

.erC<t( Wi44ia«i R. Livingston, United States minister at Paris, 
to buy New Orleans, and the peninsula of Florida. 
Americans were more opposed to France as a neigh- 
bor than they had been to Spain, and anxiously awaited 
the answer to Jefferson's proposition. 

Bonaparte, filled with the dream of a great French 
province in America, would not treat at first for the 
sale of New Orleans. This made Jefferson only the 
more determined to accomplish his ends. Two millions 
of dollars were appropriated by Congress and James 
Monroe was sent to France to negotiate the purchase. 

Meanwhile the relations between England and France 
became more and more threatening to France's safety. 
England's navy was enlarged, and Napoleon saw 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 51 

that when England discovered that France owned 
Louisiana she would make that province the theater 
of war. He also perceived that he could not hold the 
country against his ancient foe. News came at the 
same time that America was aroused and that the Con- 
gress of the United States was about to raise 50,000 
troops to take New Orleans. Then it was that Napo- 
leon astonished Livingston and Monroe by proposing 
to sell all of Louisiana. 

The ministers had instructions to negotiate only 
for New Orleans, and President Jefferson himself had 
no authority to buy so vast a possession. Still he 
decided that the purchase must be made. Such an 
offer would never come again, and trusting to the 
sober sense of his countrymen to ratify and justify his 
act, he consummated the purchase. On April 30, at 
Paris, the treaty was made by which Louisiana was 
ceded to the United States for 80,000,000 francs, or 
about $15,000,000. 

This was an act of most prudent statesmanship — its 
effects upon the republic cannot be estimated. It gave 
the United States not only the control of the Mississippi 
river, but also of the American continent. It paved 
the way for the declaration of the Monroe doctrine 
and relieved the country from fear of European coa- 
litions. Europe was no longer to dominate America. 
Out of this territory have been carved the states of 
Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, North and South 
Dakota, Nebraska, nearly all of Kansas, Montana, and 
Wyoming, a part of Minnesota, Colorado, Idaho, Ala- 
bama, and Mississippi, besides most of the territory of 
Oklahoma and all of Indian Territory. Spain was an- 
noyed, and maintained that France had agreed never to 



52 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

sell the country ; but the Americans ridiculed this idea. 
The Federalists also complained,^ stating that nothing 
but ill could come to the country through the addition 
of the western wilds. 

Livingston, m eloquent words, said: " We have lived 
long, but this is the noblest work of our whole lives. 
It will change vast solitudes into flourishing districts. 
From this day the United States take their place among 
the powers of the first rank. The instruments which 
we have just signed will cause no tears to be shed; 
they prepare ages of happiness for generations of human 
creatures, worthy of the regard and care of Providence, 
in the bosom of equality, under just laws, freed from 
the errors of superstition and bad government." 

Napoleon Bonaparte, although reluctant to part with 
Louisiana, sealed the contract with a remark that 
Americans have never forgotten. He said: " This 
accession has strengthened forever the power of the 
United States, and I have just given England a mari- 
time rival who, sooner or later, will humble her pride." 

In all these matters the people of Louisiana were 
never consulted. The handful of settlers at Arkansas 
Post had been given by France to Spain; Spain gave 
them back to France; and France gave them to the 
United States. For one hundred and seventeen years 
they had lived peacefully in one town, and at the date 
of the cession numbered about six hundred. They 



I. Jefferson was the only statesman who really saw the future greatness of 
the United States. In a letter to Governor Claiborne in 1803 he said : 
"Objections are raising to the eastward against the vast extent of our boun- 
daries, and propositions are made to exchange Louisiana, or a part of it, for 
the Floridas But we shall get the Floridas without this, and I would not 
give one inch of the waters of the Mississippi to any nation, because I see 
in a light very important to our peace the exclusive right to its navigation," 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 53 

were too far from Paris and Madrid to keep pace with 
political affairs, and cared only to be left undisturbed 
in their blissful retreats. No interference ever reached 
them, tyranny was unknown, their slight trade was 
unrestricted, the church was at their doors, the Indians 
were their friends, abundance crowned their efforts, 
and politics was unknown. 

29. Possession Passed. Spain still held possession of 
this region, but on November 30, 1803, the Spanish 
commissioners turned it over to France. The Spanish 
flag was taken down for the last time and the French 
tricolor took its place. Twenty days after that the 
French flag was replaced by our stars and stripes. 

The commissioners to receive Louisiana on the part 
of the United States were William C. C. Claiborne, 
governor of Mississippi, and General James Wilkinson 
of the United States army. On Dec. 20, 1803, in the 
City Hall at New Orleans, Clement Laussat, the French 
commissioner, put the commissioners of the United 
States in possession of the territory of Louisiana, 
delivered to them the keys of the city of New Orelans, 
and discharged from their oaths of fidelity to the 
French republic all citizens of Louisiana who desired 
to remain under the dominion of the United States. 
Thus ended the foreign domination of any part of the 
Mississippi valley; thus began the government of the 
United States amid the approving shouts of the multi- 
tude. The only sorrowful eyes were those of the brave 
and loyal French Creoles ^ who wept as the French flag 
was lowered. The province of Louisiana thus peace- 
ably acquired by the United States, was five times as 

I. The French Creoles were native born Frenchmen. There was no admix- 
ture of black blood in them. 



54 ' HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

large as France itself and was the first addition to the 
territorial area of the American republic.^ 

Recapitulation. 

1. Arkansas existed first as an Indian possession. 

2. Spain acquired title to Arkansas by discovery. 
How and when? 

3. France acquired title by discovery and occupa- 
tion. How and when? French domination lasted from 
1699 to 1762. 

4. Spain acquired title by treaty. How, when, and 
with whom? Spain dominated the country from 1763 
to 1800. 

5. France again acquired title by treaty. 

6. The United States acquired title April 30, 1803. 
How? 

7. Spain passed possession to France, Nov. 30, 1803. 

8. France gave possession to the United States, Dec. 
20, 1803. Where and how? 



Topic for Study and Review. 
Dis 



Where 
At Mississippi River \ When 

Method of crossing. 
T^ r. I / Aquixo 

DeSoto ^ I casqui 

Pacaha # x .. u 1 

Caluca \ \?.^^^^ ^^"^ P^^^^- 

T> . I r\ • .. V Discuss. 

Route ^ Quigate \ describe each. 

Ca ^a^^ ^ Describe the country. 

Tula 

Autiamque 

I. There was a suppressed excitement, however, in the minds of all the 
French and Spanish subjects growing out of the uncertainty of their land 
titles. They feared that the citizens of the United States would attempt to 
dispossess them of their estates and homes. President Jefferson soon allayed 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 55 

Similar Topics. 

! Marquette. 
De ionti. 
D'Iberville. 

2. The French Governors. 

3. The Spanish Governors. 

. A league is 83^ arpents. . En'lli^h'mne'^This 

(Ten French poles are one arpent. ^"g^ish miles.'' ihis 

Note. Eighteen French feet are one pole, calcuation gives but 

The French foot is to the English f "^ ^^"^^^ °^ ^^e 

foot as 16 to 15. league. There were 



CHAPTER VII. 

THE PROVINCE OF LOUISIANA, 1803-1804. 

30. Claiborne's Administration, 32. Lewis and Clarke Expedition. 

1803-1804. 33. Slavery. 

31. The District of Louisiana, 

1804-1805. 

30. Governor Claiborne's Administration. On the same 
day on which possession of Louisiana was given to the 
United States, William C. C. Claiborne, who had been 
appomted commandant of the new territory until a 
new government should be formed, assumed the duties 
of the office and issued a proclamation declaring that 
the government of France and Spain had ceased to 

this fear by appointing a commission to inquire into the titles of the French 
and Spanish in the new territory. This commission consisted of two men 
of French descent, J. B. C. Lucas and James Penrose, and one American, 
James L. Donaldson (succeeded in 1807 by Frederic Bates). It was noted for 
culture, character, and wisdom. Its reports fill a large part of the American 
state papers, and have been adopted by the supreme court of the United 
States as final in all contests before that body. 



56 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



exercise control over Louisiana, and that the laws of 
the United States had been there established. He also 
assured the inhabitants that until legal action was 
taken by Congress as to their citizenship, they would 
be protected in the free enjoyment of their liberty, 
property, and religion. 
In an address issued upon 
the same day he further 
promised that the Ameri- 
can Congress would pro- 
mote the commercial and 
agricultural interests of 
the community. 

In the spring of 1804 
Arkansas Post, Ft. Esper- 
ance, and St. Louis were 
formally delivered to the 
United States. James B. 
Many, Major of Artillery, 
was sent by Gen. Wilkin- 
son to Arkansas Post, 
which was quietly given up to him by the Spanish com- 
mandant, Ignace el Leno. Amos Stoddard, Captain 
of the Artillery corps at Kaskaskia, received the Post 
at St. Louis, and remained the commandant until Nov. 
8, 1804. St. Louis, like Arkansas Post, was but a small 
provincial town, with one hundred and fifty houses, 
three streets, and one log church. In both places the 
manners and customs were French, and but few spoke 
the English language. 

31. The District of Louisiana. Congress divided the 
new territory (Mar. 26, 1804) into two parts; one 
called the territory of Orleans; the other, the district 




WILLIAM C. C. CLAIBORNE. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 57 

of Louisiana. The territory of Orleans extended from 
the Gulf of Mexico north to the thirty-third parallel, 
the northern boundary of the present state of Louisi- 
ana, and had its capital at New Orleans. The district 
of Louisiana comprised all the remaining territory. It 
was usually styled Upper Louisiana. The govern- 
ment of this district was attached to that of Indiana 
territory. 

The governor of Indiana territory at that time was 
Gen. William Henry Harrison. During the fall of 
1804, Governor Harrison, accompanied by three judges, 
visited St. Louis, and established courts for the new 
district. The governor appointed Samuel Hammond 
as his deputy for St. Louis, and three commandants 
for the posts: Col. Meigs for St. Charles; Major Hunt 
for St. Genevieve and Col, Scott for Cape Girardeau. 
James B. Many was left in authority at Arkansas Post. 

On March 3, 1805, Congress divided the district of 
Louisiana into the territory of Louisiana and the dis- 
trict of New Madrid. It was the lower part of the 
territory comprising what is now Arkansas and the 
southern part of Missouri that was laid off into the 
district of New Madrid. 

The President appointed Gen. James Wilkinson as 
governor, and Frederick Bates as secretary. The 
superior court was presided over by Judge Meigs and 
John B. Lucas. The governor and judges constituted 
the legislature. 

32. Lewis and Clarke Expedition, 1804-1806. President 
Jefferson asked Congress to authorize an exploring 
party to ascend the Missouri to its headwaters and 
thence to cross the Rocky Mountains to the Pa- 
cific Ocean. His determination was by all honorable 



58 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

means to extend the authority of the United States 
from the Atlantic to the Pacific. This exploring party 
would not only add to the country's knowledge of what 
the Louisiana purchase really included, but would also 
establish a basis for new discoveries in the west. Con- 
gress passed the law, and Jefferson placed the party 
under the command of Captain Meriwether Lewis and 
Lieutenant William Clarke, a brother of the famous 
George Rogers Clarke. 

The expedition started from St. Louis in May, 1804, 
and returned to the same place in September, 1806. 
During that time they had ascended the Missouri, 
crossed the Rocky Mountains, discovered and passed 
down the Lewis or Snake river to the Columbia, and 
down this stream to the Pacific. Each member of the 
expedition received warrants for 320 acres of land to 
be located west of the Mississippi. Lewis and Clarke 
received 1,600 acres each. Meriwether Lewis became 
the second governor of the territory of Louisiana, and 
William Clarke the first governor of the territory of 
Missouri. 

33. Slavery. The provision in the treaty of cession 
(1803) which bound the United States to protect the 
inhabitants of the old province in the free enjoyment 
of their liberty and property brought the question of 
slavery into prominence. Opponents of slavery held 
that the word " property " could not be interpreted to 
include slaves. It was also maintained that the right 
to continue the institution of slavery could not be 
decided by Congress; but that each municipal com- 
munity must decide for itself. Two such commun- 
ities had been established. In the territory of Or- 
leans, the institution of slavery remained undis- 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 59 

turbed, but further importation of slaves from abroad 
was prohibited. The district of Louisiana was annexed 
to Indiana and thus became subject to the regulations 
of the Ordinance of 1787 which prohibited slavery. 
This consequence of the annexation of the district of 
Louisiana to Indiana was not publicly acknowledged at 
the time, but in after years it was held by the oppo- 
nents to slavery to have been a division of the Louisi- 
ana purchase between the "free" and the " slave " 
states. 

On the 2d of March, 1805, Congress repealed all 
implied restrictions upon slavery in the territory of 
Orleans. This created the contention that the prohi- 
bition on the slave trade from abroad was also repealed. 
Under cover of this claim the slave trade was revived 
at New Orleans, and carried on until 1808. 

The sectional feud on the slave question resulted, 
during the war of 181 2, in the Hartford Convention. 
This body held that Congress had no power to regulate 
commerce and pass embargo laws. The treaty closing 
the war restored peace for a time, but the agitation 
was revived and threatened to dissolve the Union, 
when Arkansas was made a slave-holding territory 

(1819). 



6o HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

THE TERRITORY OF LOUISIANA, 1805-1812. 

34. Wilkinson's Administration, 39. Lewis's Administration, 1807- 

1805-1807. 1809. 

35. District of Arkansas. 40. The Osage Session. 

36. Pike's Expedition. 41. Howard's Administration, 

37. Exploration of tlie Ouachita. 1809-1812. 

38. Burr's Conspiracy. 42. Settlers of this Period. 

34. Wilkinson's Administration. Gen. James Wilkin- 
son took a prominent part in the Revolutionary War. 
Afterwards, in Kentucky, he distinguished himself as a 
writer, a speaker, and a man of great political influence. 
He took a leading part in the Indian wars of Ohio, 
and for thirty years was connected with important 
events of the west. In 1787 he was charged with the 
crime of intrigue with Spain; but the charges were 
never proved and he is believed by many to have been 
innocent. He was one of the commissioners who at 
New Orleans received the province of Louisiana from 
the hands of France. From 1805 to 1807 he was gov- 
ernor of the territory of Louisiana. During his 
administration as governor he retained his position as 
general. Upon the death of Gen. Wayne in 1796, he 
was advanced to the supreme command of the American 
armies. 

35. District of Arkansas. On the 27th of June, 1806, 
the legislature of the territory of Louisiana set aside 
the lower part of the district of New Madrid, and 
made of it a new district, called the district of Arkan- 
saw. Stephen Warrel was appointed first deputy-gov- 
ernor for the district; but was soon succeeded by 
Robert W. Osborne. 



HIS TOR Y OF A RKA NBA S. 6l 

36. Pikes Expedition. Jefferson planned another 
expedition to explore the sources of the Mississippi 
and the western part of Louisiana. Gen. Zebulon 
Montgomery Pike was placed in command and much 
work was done in the Rocky Mountains. Pike's Peak 
still bears the name of the leader of the expedition. 

Gen. Pike dispatched James B. Wilkinson to descend 
the Arkansas to its mouth. Wilkinson began the 
descent in two canoes on Oct. 27, 1806, and on Jan- 
uary 9, 1807 reached Arkansas Post, having passed 
over the entire length of the river from its source 
almost to its mouth. He passed and noted the mouths 
of three tributary streams, the Canadian, Poteau, and 
Vermillion. 

In speaking of the game along the river one of his 
men said: " I believe there are on the banks of the 
Arkansas alone, sufficient buffalo, elk, and deer to feed 
all the savages in the United States one century, if 
used without waste." Wilkinson made a map of the 
river, upon which from the mouth of the Poteau, where 
Fort Smith now stands, to Arkansas Post, only three 
points are noted: i. A high mountain on the south, 
evidently Magazine; 2. Hot Springs; 3. Two bands 
of French hunters on the north side of the river, one 
about where Little Rock stands, the other in the 
neighborhood of Pine Bluff. The state was one vast 
wilderness save for the settlements at Arkansas Post^ 
and Camp Esperance. 

I. In the early part of the year 1800, three Kentuckians started a settlement 
three miles south of the mouth of the St. Francis, at a point called Little 
Prairie. During that year William Patterson built a warehouse where 
Helena now stands. Patterson was a Methodist, and it is said that he was a 
local preacher at the time. Organized Methodism began in the territory in 
1806. Col. Sylvanus Phillips settled at the mouth of the St. Francis in 1797, 



62 HIS TOR Y OF A RKA NSA S. 

37. Exploration of the Ouachita. In the fall of 1804, 
Jefferson commissioned Mr. Dunbar, a distinguished 
scientist of Natchez, to explore the Ouachita. He 
ascended the river as far as Hot Springs (which was 
then uninhabited), taking its courses and distances, 
and he prepared a map of the region. About the same 
time Don Juan Filhiol, commandant of Ouachita Post, 
ascended the Ouachita to Hot Springs, and wrote a 
detailed description of the region. Upon a grant said 
to have been issued by Governor Miro, Filhiol claimed 
Hot Springs. This celebrated case was decided against 
him by the United States district court at Little Rock, 
but an appeal was taken and is now pending in the 
supreme court of the United States. 

38. Burr's Conspiracy. During the year 1806, the 
authorities of Spain advanced in force to Bayou Pierre 
on Red river. Gen. Wilkinson took stand with his 
troops on the western side of the Sabine to check them. 
While thus engaged, he was ordered back to the Mis- 
sissippi to protect New Orleans. It had just been 
made known through a proclamation of the President 
that Aaron Burr was the leader of a conspiracy to 
separate the territory of Louisiana from the Union, 
and to establish upon the banks of the Ouachita ^ a 
new government, of which Burr should be the chief. 
It was rumored also that the Spanish authority in 
Texas and Mexico was to be attacked and if possible 
overthrown. 

The state of Kentucky was the place chosen by Burr 

but during the troubles between the United States and the g-overnor-general 
at New Orleans, over the Mississippi, he was required by the Spanish com- 
mandant to remove to Arkansas Post. 

I. Jefferson said that a part of Burr's recruits were settlers on Bastrop's 
lands on the Ouachita, and the others were adventurers of the worst kind. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS, 



63 



to perfect his operations, but it appears that his move- 
ments covered a much wider area. He made approaches 
to Governor Wilkinson, through whom his schemes 
were made known to the President. He was arrested 
in Mississippi and taken to Richmond, Virginia, for 
trial. Everything had been managed so carefully as 
to make it impossible to prove him guilty, and he was 
acquitted; but in the opinion of the public in general 
his guilt was established.^ 

39. Lewis's Administration. In August 1807, Gen. 
Wilkinson was succeeded by Captain Meriwether Lewis 
of Virginia, as governor of the territory. Lewis was 
a warm friend of President Jefferson's, and had gained 
distinction in the Lewis and Clarke expedition. He 
held the position until his death in 1S09. 




40. The Osage Cession. In June, 1808, a feud occurred 
between Governor Lewis and some of the Osages, 
which led to a withdrawal of the protection of the 



I. The Federalists championed the cause of Burr, not because they sympa- 
thized with him, but because of their hatred for Jefferson. 



64 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

United States. Incoming tides of settlers annoyed 
the Indians and they proposed to sell their land. On 
the loth of November, 1808, a treaty between the 
Osage nation and the United States was concluded at 
Fort Clark (in the southwestern part of the present 
state of Missouri), by which the United States acquired 
the following area of land: From the Arkansas north 
to the Missouri river, and from the Mississippi west- 
ward to a line due south from Fort Clark to the Arkan- 
sas river, at a point called Frog Bayou in Crawford 
county. Two other cessions (Sept. 25, 1818, and June 
3, 1825) w^ere made by the Osages, by which all the 
remaining lands of the Great and Little Osages in 
Arkansas, and in Lovely's Purchase were transferred 
to the United States. The area was nearly 50,000,000 
acres, of which about 16,000,000 were in Arkansas. 

Major Lovely was a soldier of the Revolution and 
took part in the capture of Burgoyne. He moved to 
Tennessee and became a friend of the Cherokees. 
When they moved west he went with them and estab- 
lished a large trade on the Arkansas. As an Indian 
agent he made an unauthorized purchase of lands from 
the Osages, between the Arkansas and the Red rivers, 
and also a tract on the north of the Arkansas between 
the Verdigris river and the western boundary, estab- 
lished by the Osage treaty of 1808. This was called 
"Lovely's Purchase." 

41. Howard's Administration. In 1809, President 
Madison appointed Gen. Benjamin A. Howard of 
Lexington, Kentucky, governor of the territory of 
Louisiana. During the eleven years from 1799 to 1810, 
the population had increased from 368 to 1,062. The 
class of emigrants had hitherto been the quiet French- 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 65 

men. The present comers belonged to the class called 
"backwoodsmen," They were the sterner Anglo-Sax- 
ons. They were honorable men who chafed under 
the restraints of city life, and were eager to get beyond 
the noise of factories and the conventions of civiliza- 
tion. Hunting and trapping were their delight, and 
the whoop of the savage was music to their ears. They 
cared only for adventure, not for deeds or titles to the 
land. But there were others preparing to invade the 
state whose only thought was gain. In 1804 Amos 
Stoddart, Captain of Artillery at Kaskaskia, notified 
President Jefferson that a scheme was on foot to de- 
fraud the government; that thousands of false Spanish 
grants had been placed on sale and were being sold 
every day. Under the treaty the United States was 
required to protect actual Spanish settlers in their 
rights to the lands. The counterfeit grants were 
skillfully executed and gave the government great 
trouble. 

In 181 1 an earthquake took place at New Madrid. 
The ground shook, lakes were formed, fissures were 
made from which mud and water were thrown as high 
as the tree tops. From New Madrid to the southwest 
large areas were submerged which remain until to-day 
under the name, "Sunk Lands." In Craighead county 
the convulsion was very great and the St. Francis river 
changed its bed. 

Many settlers in the New Madrid region lost their 
lands. In 1815 Congress passed a law permitting such 
settlers to select other unoccupied lands in the territory. 
The certificates authorizing such selection were called 
"New Madrid Certificates." Many of them were 
located in Arkansas. The McKnights and Richard- 

HIST. OF ARK. — 5 



66 HISTORY OF ARKAXSAS. 

sons were alread}^ located in Lawrence county, and felt 
the " Land Shakes," as they called them. 

42. Settlers of this Period. In 1807 Major John 
Pyeatt, an officer of the Revolutionary war, with his 
brother Jacob, and their families came to Arkansas from 
eastern Tennessee and settled at Crystal Hill above 
Little Rock. Another settlement had just been made 
by people from North Carolina at the foot of Maumelle 
mountain. Major Pyeatt in company with a number 
of settlers began to cut a road to Arkansas Post. 
Jacob Pyeatt soon moved up the river and established 
a settlement at the mouth of the Cadron. In 1815 
Major Gibson passed through the settlement, on his 
way to establish forts on the Upper Arkansas and 
astounded Major Pyeatt by telling him about the 
treaty of peace between the United States and Great 
Britain. Pyeatt had never even heard of the war of 
1812 — so difficult was it in those times to establish 
communication between the east and the west. In 
1809, John Janes, a revolutionary soldier, moved from 
Missouri to what is now Randolph county, and William 
Hudson moved to Independence county in 1812. Blayle- 
town, in what is now Clark county, was settled in 18 10. 
In 1814 the manufacture of salt began near this place. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 67 

CHAPTER IX. 

THE TERRITORY OF MISSOURI l8l2. 

43. The New Territory. 46. Quapaw Cession. 

44. The First Counties. 47. The Nutall Expedition. 

45. The Cherokees. 48. Travel in Early Days. 

43. The New Territory. In the year 1812, the terri- 
tory of Orleans was admitted into the Union as a state, 
bearing the name of Louisiana. In the same year the 
name of Louisiana territory was changed to territory 
of Missouri. The legislative power of the territory 
was vested in a General Assembly, consisting of a gov- 
ernor, a legislative council of nine members, and a 
House of Representatives of thirteen members. St. 
Louis was made the seat of government and districts 
were to be formed for the election of delegates. The 
following districts ^ were formed by Governor Howard, 
for the purpose of choosing thirteen delegates: St. 
Charles, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Cape Girardeau, 
New Madrid, and Arkansas. The village of Arkansas, 
as Arkansas Post was then called, was made the seat 
of justice of a district almost as large as the present 

I. These districts contained the following villages, which were established 
prior to 1803 : 



St Louis \ '^^- Ferdinand. o Q„n„„,>„„ j St. Genevieve. 

M.LOUIS. ■< Marais des Leards. bt. Crenevieve. j New Bourbon. 

\ Carondelet. 

New Madrid. ' ^^^^, 

S.. Charles. ] |'„ Cl«rie. ^.^^^ ^^^^^^^ J Arkansas^Pos.^^ 

Little Prairie was forty miles below New Madrid. On June 13, 1812, Con- 
gress ordered a survey of these villages, and directed that one twentieth of 
the area surveyed should be reserved for the use of schools within their 
boundaries. The surveys were made in all the villages except Esperance, 
which had been abandoned, and the reservation was made for the schools. 



68 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



State of Arkansas.^ The new government went into 
operation on Dec. i, 1812, with William Clarke as gov- 
ernor. The delegate to Congress was Edward Hemp- 
stead. 

44. The First Counties. 2 On December 31, 1813, the 
legislature of Missouri created two counties, New 
Madrid and Arkansas. The first included the north- 
eastern angle of Arkansas, and the second all the rest 
of the state. The county seat of the latter was placed 
at the " Village of Arkansaw." 

The Missouri legislatures of 1815 and 1818 created 
four new counties in Arkansas: 



County. 


From what 
formed. 


Date of 
formation. 


Named 
after. 


County seats. 


Lawrence... 


New Madrid 












county 


Jan. 15, 


1815. 


Capt. Law- 
rence 


D a vidso n ville, 
Jackson, Smith- 
ville, Clover 
Bend, Powhatan, 
and Walnut 
Ridge. 


Clark 


Arkansas county 


Dec. 15, 


1818. 


Gov. Wm. 

Clark ... 


Biscoveville, Adam 
Stronds, Green- 
ville (now Holly- 
wood), Arkadel- 
phia. 


Pulaski 


Arkansas county 


Dec. 15, 


1818. 


Count Pu- 
laski .... 


Cadron, Little 
Rock. 


Hempstead . 


Arkansas county 


Dec. 15, 


1818. 


Edward 
H em p- 
stead 


Marlbrook, Wash- 
ington. 



1. One member or delegate represented Arkansas Post, and Col. Alexander 
Walker was chosen by the people for this office. Whenever the legislature 
met at St. Louis, Col. Walker traveled the whole distance there and back 
upon horseback. The population of Arkansas Post was than about 900. 

2. In England the institutions of the township^ county and state developed 
naturally. The original settlements grew into townships independent of one 
another ; in time these became united into counties ; and these lastly into 
the state. In Arkansas these institutions were fixed by external legislation, 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



69 




MAP OF ARKANSAS WITH COUNTIES, 1819. 



On December 31, 1813, all of the present state of Arkansas, with some adja- 
cent territory, was divided into two counties, New Madrid and Arkansas. 
The Hne between them began at Island No. 19, in the Mississippi river and 
ran southwest wardly to the mouth of the Little Red; thence up that river to 
its sources: thence west to the Osage line. All north of this line was called 
New Madrid county; all south and east of it, Arkansas. 

On January 15, 1815, Lawrence county was created out of New Madrid 
county, and included a part of the present state of Missouri. 

On December 15, 1818, three counties were created from Arkansas and Law- 
rence, called Pulaski, Clark, and Hempstead. Lawrence county was not 
changed materially. By the Cherokee treaty it lost all of the territory west 
of the Cherokee line and a small part north of the Little Red was given to 
Pulaski. In 1818 a part of its northern territory was formed into Wayne 
county, Missouri, and was cut off when Missouri became a state. 



70 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

The first court was held at the house of Solomon 
Hewitt on Spring river. This stream is one of the 
most beautiful in America and attracted settlers from 
all parts of the country. The river rises in Mammoth 
Springs, the largest spring in the world, and its current 
of sparkling blue water flows over a series of falls to 
Black river, a distance of over fifty miles. The village 
of Davidsonville was near its banks, and at this place 
the first postoffice in what is now Arkansas was 
established in June, 1817, and the mail carried on 
horseback from St. Louis, through Davidsonville and 
Arkansas Post to Monroe, La. The second postoffice 
was established in July of the same year at Arkansas 
Post. Mail was delivered at these places once every 
thirty days. 

In 1814 a colony from Kentucky settled near Bates- 
ville, at the Greenbrier settlement. In 1815 further 
immigration to this place increased its population to 
nineteen families. The descendants of these families 
have been represented in the state by a Congressman, 
Samuel W. Peel, a governor, W. R. Miller, and by 
many other officers. 

45. The Cherokees. The migration of this people 
from their old home in Tennessee, began as early as 
1785. Dissatisfied with the treaty of Hopewell, S. C, 



first came the state, then the counties, and lastly the townships. The 
counties averaged ten thousand square miles each. Pulaski county had at 
first no county seat, and the justice of the peace, Edward Hogan, held court 
at his house. The judge of the court of common pleas. Samuel McHenry, 
resorted to the same makeshift; the sheriff, Lemuel Curren had a greater 
territorial jurisdiction than the governor of Rhode Island. In 1820 the county 
seat was placed at Cadron, and in 1821 at Little Rock. In Clark county, 
courts were at first held at the house of Jacob Barkman. In Hempstead 
county, at Marlbrook, court was held at the house of John English. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 71 

a few of these Indians entered the Spanish province of 
Arkansas, and formed a settlement on the St. Francis 
river. This was shortly after abandoned and a new 
one made on the White river. Jefferson encouraged 
other Cherokees to follow their kinsmen to the west, 
until in 1817, they numbered nearly 3,000. The 
lands upon which they settled were claimed by the 
Osages and the Quapaws, who resisted their encroach- 
ments. 

The government then informed them, that if they 
would release all claims to the lands they had left 
east of the river, lands would be given them be- 
tween the Arkansas and the White. They agreed 
to this and on July 8, 181 7, a treaty was made 
by which the Cherokees ceded part of their lands 
east of the Mississippi to the United States in return 
for a tract of land between the Arkansas and White 
rivers equal in extent to that ceded by them. The 
Indian tract extended from the north side of the 
Arkansas river, at the mouth of Point Remove, or Bud- 
well's old place, northwardly in a straight line to 
Chataunga Mountain, the first hill above Shields Ferry 
on White river, and westward between said rivers far 
enough to embrace the required quantity of land. The 
majority of the Cherokee nation, the " Upper Chero- 
kees," opposed the treaty but a large number " Lower 
Cherokees," or hunters, moved westward and joined 
their kinsmen. There a new trouble awaited them. 
The Osages maintained that a part of the territory 
ceded to the Cherokees belonged to them, and began 
hostilities against the newcomers. 

Governor Clark, under instructions from the govern- 
ment, secured a cessation of hostilities and negotiated 



72 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

a treaty of friendship between them at St. Louis, 1818. 
Reuben Lewis was then appointed to survey the east 
line of the Cherokee reservation, but as his appoint- 
ment miscarried in the mails. Gen. William Rector 
made the survey and filed his field notes in the General 
Land Office in 1819. The distance from Point Remove 
to White river was 71 miles and 55 chains. All white 
settlers west of this line were compelled to remove 
except Mrs. P. Lovely, who by the treaty of 1817 was 
permitted to remain. 

By the terms of the treaty, the Cherokees were 
granted a western outlet to their hunting grounds. This 
forced them to pass the Osages, who had settled on 
the Arkansas, and furnished occasions for frequent 
collisions. In 1820 the Osages killed three of the 
Cherokees, and the Cherokee nation thereupon 
declared war. To stop hostilities. Governor Miller vis- 
ited the principal Osage village, taking with him four 
of the Cherokee chiefs, and demanded the surrender 
of the murderers. The Osages received him courteously 
and agreed to surrender the men, if the Cherokees 
would meet them at Fort Smith in the following 
October and deliver up all Osage prisoners, as they 
had agreed to do in the treaty of friendship made by 
Governor Clark. 

The meeting at Fort Smith secured a temporary 
peace; but in 1821 war broke out between the two 
Indian nations and lasted for more than a year, until 
the troops of the United States forced them to desist. 

Then began another trouble over the western line of 
the reservation. No permanent peace could be 
expected until the boundary line between these tribes 
was definitely fixed. The Osages had for their eastern 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS, 73 

boundary, a line from Fort Clark in Missouri due south 
to the Arkansas river, which had never been surveyed. 
The Cherokees claimed that their western boundary 
line was to begin at or above Fort Smith and run 
parallel to their eastern line. Governor Miller author- 
ized a line to be run due north to the White river, 
beginning at a point about halfway between Point 
Remove and Fort Smith, but the Cherokees objected 
to it as a boundary line. In 1825 the parallel line was 
run. It began at Table Rock Bluff above Fort Smith, 
and ran parallel to the eastern line 133 miles to the 
mouth of Little North Fork of White river. 

The council of the western or Arkansas Cherokees 
declared itself satisfied, and passed a law prohibiting 
under penalty of death the sale or exchange of their 
lands on the part of any of the Cherokees. 

An agency of the United States government was 
established in the midst of the Cherokees south of the 
river, who had removed, between 182 1 and 1825, by 
order of Governor Miller into their own reservation. 
In 1820 the American Board of Foreign Missions had 
established a school at Dwight under charge of Cephas 
Washburn. Corn mills were put into operation and 
the Indians began to cultivate cotton. 

Bat troubles were not yet at an end. Americans 
desired the lands of the Indians and sent objections to 
Congress against the permanent location of the Chero- 
kee reservation in Arkansas; the lands between the 
western boundary of the Cherokees and the eastern 
boundary of the Osages were claimed by the Americans 
as open to survey, and a survey had actually begun. 

The Cherokees objected to this as denying them a 
western outlet, and sent a deputation to Washington. 



74 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

All parties were anxious to make a final settlement of 
the question. The deputation had no authority to 
propose an exchange of their lands and knew that 
they would be denounced for any such action; but the 
propositions of the secretary of war were so liberal 
that they listened, and finally accepted them. They 
owned 4,240,00c acres in Arkansas, in exchange for 
which they were offered 7,000,000 acres in Indian 
Territory. 

The secretary proposed to move the western bound- 
ary line of Arkansas east forty miles to where it 
now stands, and to give the Indians the region 
immediately to its west; to guarantee that no state 
government should ever be created within their terri- 
tory; to give them a western outlet for hunting to the 
utmost limits of the possessions of the United States; 
to pay them for all improvements they had made on 
Arkansas land; to give them $50,000 as the difference 
between the old and the new lands; to pay numerous 
annuities; and to survey their lands for individual 
allotment when they desired it. One of the annuities 
($500) was to George Guess, the inventor of the Chero- 
kee alphabet. 

On May 6, 1828, the chiefs and head men of the 
Cherokees, and James Barbour, secretary of war, 
entered into a treaty on the above-mentioned terms. 
The Indian representatives, however, were denounced 
for their action on their return to their people. The 
council declared the treaty null and void. But, in the 
course of time, they came to see the advantages of the 
treaty, and decided to ratify it. Then began the last 
removal. 

The Indian agent, Edward W. Duval, placed a valua- 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 75 

tion on their improvements, and erected new mills for 
them in their new home. The boundary line between 
Arkansas and the Cherokee nation was run in 1829, 
and no further dispute has ever occurred over this line. 
The old Cherokee lines in Arkansas remain as monu- 
ments, and are clearly marked upon the after surveys 
of the state. 

46. The Quapaw Cession. On the 24th of August, 1818, 
a treaty was made at St. Louis between the United 
States and the Quapaws, by which the latter ceded to 
the former all their lands, from a point ninety miles 
below the mouth of the Arkansas westward to the 
Big Raft on Red river, and northward to the Arkan- 
sas, — except a tract in the center. The reservation 
began at a point on the south bank of the Arkansas, 
and extended southwesterly to the Ouachita, thence up 
the Ouachita to the mouth of the Saline, thence up the 
Saline to a point were a due north line would strike 
Little Rock.i 

On Nov. 15, 1824, at Harrington, Arkansas, this 
reservation was ceded to the United States. The Qua- 
paws received a money consideration, and at the time 
of the last cession agreed to remove from Arkansas. 
They removed first to the neighborhood of the Big 
Raft on Red river. The climate there proved unhealth- 
ful and one fourth of their number perished. The 
government then allotted to them the extreme north- 
east of Indian Territory where they live to-day. In 

I. This was the point of rocks now at the south end of the lower railroad 
bridge. It was called Little Rock, to distinguish it from Big Rock just 
above the city. The city took its name from this little rock. The Quapaw 
line whose north end terminated in this rock, determined the early location 
of the town. Settlements had to be made on its west side. It now remains 
as a landmark in surveying. 



76 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

all these negotiations the Indians were generously 
treated. 

47. The Nutall Expedition. The best description of 
the region bordering on the Arkansas river, as it 
appeared in 1819, was given by Thomas Nutall, mem- 
ber of the Philosophical Society of Philadelphia. He 
called Arkansas Post, the Post of Ozark, after one of 
the Indian villages lower down the river. He embarked 
on the White river in February and a day later passed 
over the bayou connecting the White with the Arkan- 
sas. He proceeded up the Arkansas, still red and 
muddy from a freshet, towed past bars larger than any 
he had ever before seen, and reached the home of 
Madame Gordon, the first house above the bayou. 
About a mile and a half above this, he found a settle- 
ment of four or five French families upon an elevated, 
fertile tract of land. The floods of the Arkansas fre- 
quently covered the whole area to White river, a dis- 
tance of thirty miles. He was astonished at the caprice 
of the river in changing its channel, making lagoons 
and lakes, and by new channels meandering its way to 
the sea. 

The Post of Arkansas consisted of thirty or forty 
houses scattered over a prairie nearly as elevated as 
the Chickasaw Bluffs. The energetic merchants of this 
place, with their well-assorted stores of merchandise, 
mostly drawn from New Orleans, controlled the entire 
trade of the White and Arkansas rivers. The improve- 
ment of the place had been slow, owing to uncertain 
titles to the lands. The adjustment of the large Spanish 
grants of not less than one million acres was no easy 
task for Congress. These grants had not been 
approved, and it was feared they never would be, 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 77 

unless the claimants released their monopolies and 
settled upon the giant grants a certain number of 
families. 

The next house reached was the cabin of Joseph 
Kirkendale. Here Nutall met the principal chief of 
the Quapaws, Hecaton,^ — a man of prepossessing 
appearance and manner. He had with him the treaty 
of cession and the map of the survey. Fifteen miles 
above this place was an aboriginal station resembling 
a triangular fort, which the Quapaws say was inhabited 
by a people who were white and partially civilized, but 
whom they conquered by stratagem. 

At Michael Le Bonn's, called the Bluff, Nutall found 
a low ridge covered with pines. At the second Pine 
Bluff he met with Monsieur Bartholomew and some 
families who had ceased to cultivate the soil and had 
become hunters. These, with two or three families at 
the first Pine Bluff, were the descendants of the French- 
men left by De Tonti in 1686. 

From this point to Little Rock no settlements were 
passed, except a house about 12 miles below the latter 
place. Here lived Mr. Daniel, and here also was the 
road or trail which passed from St. Louis to Mound 
Prairie Settlement (near Columbus, Hempstead county). 

I. Hecaton was the last full-blooded chief, and died soon after reaching 
Indian Territory. He was succeeded by Saracen, who was one of nature's 
noblemen. On one occasion some roving Chickasaws stole two children of a 
trapper at Pine Blufif. The mother appealed to Saracen, who promised to 
bring them to her before midnight. Creeping at dusk to the Chickasaw camp, 
he raised the war whoop, and in the confusion that followed, seized the 
children, escaped with them, and delivered them safely into the arms of their 
nother. He went to Indian Territory, but returned to Arkansas to live on 
lands granted to him in 1824. He died at the age of ninety years, and was 
the first to be buried in the cemetery at Pine Blufif. In 1888 when the Catholic 
church was built in Pine Blufif, a memorial window was placed in it inscribed 
to him. 



78 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

During the day Nutall passed another Pine Bluff, behind 
which was the first prominent hill on the Arkansas. 
The fa9ade in which the hill terminates is called the 
Little Rock. There were then a few families living on 
both sides of the river upon high, healthful, fertile land.^ 

About 22 miles from Hogan's, on the Saline, was 
another settlement of nine or ten families (near what 
is now Benton). The population was rapidly increas- 
ing through immigration from Kentucky and Tennes- 
see. A great road led to the Post of Washita and the 
Hot Spring about 50 miles away, and from there to 
Mound Prairie, about 150 miles away. 

Cadron was next reached, where five or six families 
lived on an imaginary town plot. There being no grist 
mill in the country, flour at Arkansas Post was sold 
for $12 a barrel. Corn meal was made in a wooden 
mortar or ground in rude horse-mills. The United 
States survey of lands had begun, and one of the sur- 
veyors, Mr. Pettis, was busy at Cadron laying off the 
sections. Speculation in land warrants was already 
rife, and the lands wxre then bringing from $3 to $10 
per acre, a proof of the growing importance of the 
country. 

After passing the houses of David M. Henry and Mr. 
Frazer, the Cherokee cabins were reached at Point 
Remove. At some distance above the first Cherokee 
settlement was the second called the Galley. Here the 
Indians were managing their farms like the Americans 
and were making rapid progress toward civilization. 

At the Dardanelle settlement Nutall climbed the now 
famous Dardanelle Rock,^ from which he obtained a 

1. The Douglasses, Payetts, Grays, Le Faves, Martins, and Hogans. 

2. Called Dardani, at that time, by both French and Americans. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS, 79 

glorious view of the beautiful Dardanelle Plain. The 
Petit Jane, the Maumelle and the Magazine made a 
splendid background for the scene. 

Near Vache Grass Creek the last house was passed, 
and at noon on March 24, after a journey of forty 
days, the garrison at the mouth of the Poteau was 
reached. The garrison consisted of two blockhouses 
and lines of cabins or barracks for the 70 men it con- 
tained, and was situated upon an elevation more com- 
manding and picturesque than any other in the state. 

On his downward trip, one year later, Nutall met 
Mr. Miller, the newly appointed governor of Arkansaw 
territory, who had left his boat at Arkansas Post. 
The boat had for its motto, " I'll try," and was very 
handsomely and conveniently fitted up.^ 

48. Travel in the Early Days. Settlements were now 
in existence at Helena, Arkansas Post, Pine Bluff, Ben- 
ton, Cadron, Davidsonville, Ft. Smith, Hot Springs, 
Biscoeville, Crystal Hill, Marlbrook, and Mound 
Prairie, and between these were scattered, at long 
intervals, the lonely cabins of solitary pioneers. The 
stagecoach was unknown, as were carriages, steam- 
boats, and railroads. Canoes, rafts, and keel boats 
were used in the water, while horses and covered 
wagons furnished the means of transportation on land. 

Between the settlements were vast swamps and dense 
forests. No bridges crossed the streams and few roads 
were cut through the forests. Dangers met the traveler 
at every turn. To camp at night under the cold shelter 
of the trees was a frequent necessity, and to be lost in 
the woods an event of common occurrence. None but 

I. For further accounts of travels on the Arkansas in 1820, see Cephas 
Washburn's Reminiscences of the Indians, 



8o 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



Strong, brave men could endure such hardships and 
move on to success in the face of such foes. To these 
pioneers we owe not only the conquest of the wilder- 
ness, but a firm foundation of courage, self-denial, 
honesty, and industry — the heritage of our present 
civilization; and it is the duty of every citizen to revere 
the memory of the pioneers and to prove worthy of 
their self-sacrifice by applying their guiding principles 
of conduct to the new questions of life which unfold 
themselves in our developing civilization. 



CHAPTER X. 

THE TERRITORY OF ARKANSAW, 1819-1836. 
JAMES miller's ADMINISTRATION, 1819-1825, 

49. Arkansaw. 54. The Superior Court, 

50. Miller's Administration, 55. The Second Legislature. 

1819-1825. 56. New Counties. 

51. Steamboats. 57. The Choctaws. 

52. The First Newspaper. 58. Dwight Mission. 

53. The Public Lands. 59. Little Rock in Embryo. 

49. Arkansaw. On the 

4th of July 1819, Arkan- 
sas began its separate 
existence under the name 
Arkansaw territory. 
Congress declared that 
on that date all that part 
of Missouri territory 
lying south of a line be- 
ginning on the Missis- 
sippi river at 36 degrees territorial seal. 




HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



8i 



north latitude, running thence west to the St. Francis 
river, thence up that river to 36 degrees, 30 minutes 
north,! thence to the western territorial line of Missouri, 
should be a separate ter- 
ritory (March 2, 1819). 
The seat of government 
was to be at "Arkansaw 
Post," on the "Arkan- 
saw " river. This town 
was known also as the 
"Command of Arkan- 
saw. ' ' President Monroe 
appointed Gen. James 
Miller 2 of New Hamp- 
shire, governor, and 
Robert Crittenden of 
Frankfort, Kentucky, 
secretary. james miller. 

50 Miller's Administration. The governor did not 
arrive until late in the year, and the duty of organizing 
the government devolved upon the secretary, Mr. 
Crittenden, then only 22 years of age. With courage 
and ability he entered upon the duties of his office, and 

1. This makes a break in tiie northern boundary. At this time Missouri 
was seeking admission to the Union as a state. In the district to the 
extreme southeast there were some influential men who desired to be mem- 
bers of a state rather than of a territory; they worked with energy and they 
accomplished their purpose. The line was surveyed in 1823-24, but the 
work was so poorly done as to call for a resurvey, which was made in 1844-45. 

2. This was the hero of Lundy's Lane, or Bridgewater, who, when asked 
by the commander whether he could take a certain dangerous battery, laconi- 
cally responded, " I'll try, sir." After leaving Arkansas he was appointed 
collector of the port of Salem. When Andrew Jackson was elected Presi- 
dent, an effort was made to remove Gov. Miller from his office, but when Jack- 
son was informed that Miller was the hero of Lundy's Lane, he said : " Tell 
Gen. Miller that he shall be collector of Salem as long as Andrew Jackson is 
'President.' 




HIST. OF ARK. 



82 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

soon had the government in good working order. He 
appointed sheriffs and clerks for each of the counties, 
and convened the first territorial legislature. ^ This 
body consisted of the governor and the judges of the 
superior court, appointed by the President. The 
judges were Charles Jouett, Robert Letcher, and 
Andrew Scott. 

The legislature met on July 28, 1819, Robert 
Crittenden acting as governor. Charles Jouett was 
elected speaker, and George W. Scott, clerk. The 
session lasted seven days. It established two circuit 
courts; created the offices of territorial auditor and 
treasurer, each with a salary of three hundred dollars, 
and made the territorial laws of Missouri of a public 
nature applicable to Arkansas. Geo. W. Scott was 
appointed auditor, and James Scull, treasurer. Thus 
the new territory began its existence with a full corps 
of officers and a digest of laws. The population of 
the territory at this time was estimated at 14,000'; by 
the census of 1820 it was 14,255. 

51. Steamboats. In 181 1 the first steamboat that 
navigated the western waters was built at Pittsburg. 
The plans were furnished by Robert Fulton and the 
cost of the boat was nearly $40,000. It was 116 feet 
long and 20 feet wide across the beam, and was named 
the New Orleajis. Leaving Pittsburg in October 
the boat reached New Madrid just as the earthquake 
was changing the current of the river, and after some 
very exciting experiences landed at Natchez in Janu- 
ary, ;,8i2. All Natchez turned out to see this great 

I. A legislature of this kind is denominated by Congress a government of 
the first grade. When a territory is permitted to elect its territorial legisla- 
ture, it is called a government of the second grade. Arkansas w^as soon 
advanced to the second grade (1820). 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



83 



invention, which was destined to revolutionize methods 
of travel. 

Governor Miller arrived at Arkansas Post on Dec. 
26, 1819, on a keel boat fitted up for his use by the 
government. It had a large and handsome cabin, with 
many of the conveniences of more modern steam.boats. 
On both sides of the vessel, in large gilt letters, was 
the name, " Arkansaw," and from a tall mast there 
floated a magnificent national flag in the center of 
which was the word 
"Arkansaw," sur- •'---'-. /'..--' --- ^ 

rounded by the words 
" I'll try, sir." 

The first steam- 
boat that reached 
the Post was the 
Comet, April i, 1820. 
The first to ascend ^ ^ 

to Little Rock was the Eagle, March 22, 1822. The 
trip from New Orleans to Little Rock took seventeen 
days. Ft. Smith was reached by the Robert Thompson 
in 1822; Red river was ascended in 1829, and the 
White to Batesville, in 1831. 

52. The First Newspaper. On November 20, 1819, 
" The Arkansas Gazette " was issued for the first time. 
Its owner was William E. Woodruff, a native of New 
York, and a man of intelligence and enterprise. He 
learned his trade in Brooklyn, and walked from Louis- 
ville to Franklin, Tenn. Here he purchased a printing 
outfit and started for Arkansas. He went down the 
Cumberland, Ohio, and Mississippi to the mouth of the 
White, where he procured two canoes and transported 
his goods to Arkansas Post. He built a log house and 




84 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



soon began his work. This was the beginning of news- 
paper enterprise in Arkansas. Upon the removal of 
the capital to Little Rock in 1821, Woodruff moved his 
office to that place, where it has since remained. The 
first issue at Little Rock was dated Dec. 29, 1821. 
The paper is still in existence, and has always been the 
leading journal of the state. 




LAND SURVEY MAI 



53. The Public Lands. In October, 1819, James Wood- 
son Bates ^ was elected delegate to Congress, defeating 



I. James Woodson Bates was born in Virginia. He went to St. Louis in 
1819. He moved to Arkansas territory upon its creation and was ap- 
pointed circuit judge. He resigned this oflfice in 1821 and ran for dele- 
gate to Congress. At the next election, in 1823, being defeated by Henry W. 
Conway, he moved to the new town, Batesville, which was named after him. 
In 1825 he was appointed by President Adams judge of the superior court. 



rn STORY OF ARKANSAS. 85 

Colonel Matthew Lyon.^ He was the first representa- 
tive at Washington from the territory of Arkansaw. 
Land offices were opened at Arkansas Post and David- 
sonville in 1820. The President appointed William 
Douglas Simms, register, and Henry W. Conway, re- 
ceiver at the Post; and Hartwell Boswell, register, and 
John Trimble, receiver at Davidsonville. These officers 
were to sell the public lands of the United States. 
The register receives the application for a given tract 
and records it; the receiver takes the money paid for 
It and turns it over to the government. At the begin- 
ning (181 2) the General Land Offxce was under the 
Department of the Treasury, but in 1849 it was trans- 
ferred to the Department of the Interior. 

No question has influenced the growth of America 
so much as that concerning the disposition of the pub- 
lic lands. In the early history of the government these 
lands were not given away as they are now, but were 
sold at a very low price. It was thought better to give 
the people cheap farms and thus aid the development 
of the country, than to derive from the lands great 
revenues. One section in every township — one thirty- 
sixth of all the land — was reserved for educational 
purposes. Later on another section was added to the 
one already set apart, but this did not apply to Arkan- 
sas. Had this fund been wisely managed by the state 
it would to-day be a valuable aid to the schools. Lands 



He was a member of the Constitutional Convention in 1836, and afterwards 
register of the Land Office at Clarksville. He died in 1846. 

I. Col. Lyon was born in Ireland in 1746. He moved first to New York and 
then to Vermont. He represented the latter state in Congress from 1797 to 
1801. He was expelled from Congress by the Federalists for an alleged vio- 
lation of the " Alien and Sedition Laws." He moved from Vermont to Ken- 
tucky and thence to Arkansas. He died at Spadra in 1822. 



86 HISTORY OF- ARKANSAS. 

were given to the states for colleges, levee purposes, 
and state buildings. The extension of railroads also 
was encouraged by the liberal land laws. 

After the lands were surveyed and the legal reserva- 
tions set aside, the remaining tracts were offered for 
sale in quarter section tracts at not less than two dol- 
lars per acre. In 1862 the Homestead Law was passed, 
which practically gave any man a quarter section who 
would improve and cultivate it. From the beginning 
of the national government it has been a settled policy 
to reward the soldiers and sailors with a part of the 
public land. In the War of 181 2 a bounty of 160 acres 
was offered to every soldier who should enlist. These 
bounties were satisfied until 1842 by reservations set 
apart in Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas; after 1842 
these land warrants were permitted to be located upon 
any public lands, subject to private entry. 

In 1815 the first survey of lands by the government 
was begun in Arkansas between the Arkansas and St. 
Francis rivers. Two million acres were surveyed and 
expressly set apart for the bounties of soldiers. None 
of these lands were sold. The soldiers were given a 
warrant and the land department located it by a lottery 
process. Only the very best lands were surveyed. 
Thus the new territory of Arkansas from the start was 
peopled with the heroes of the War of 1812 — men of 
courage and ability. 

The surveyor of the lands in Illinois, Arkansas, and 
Missouri, from 1814 to 1824 was William Rector; from 
1824 to 1825, William Clark. An office for the sur- 
veyor-general ^ of the Arkansas surveying district was 

I. James S. Conway was the first surveyor-general and held the office until 
he was elected governor (1836). 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 87 

opened at Little Rock in 1832 and discontinued in 1859. 
Other land offices were opened at Batesville, Fayette- 
ville, Huntsville, Dardanelle, Washington, Camden, 
Helena, Johnson Courthouse, Clarksville, Champag- 
nolle, and Harrison, as the settlement of the state 
increased; one by one they have been closed until to- 
day but four are left. These are Little Rock, Camden, 
Dardanelle and Harrison. ^ William Rector was 
directed on Aug. 20, 1818, by Josiah Meigs, commis- 
sioner of the General Land Office, to begin the survey 
of sixty townships for actual sale. The work was 
finished in 1819, but none of the land was sold until 
1821. 

54. The Superior Court. In 1820, President Monroe 
appointed Benjamin Johnson, a member of the superior 
or United States court. His associate, appointed in 
1819, was Andrew Scott, The following is a list of the 
judges from 1819 to 1836, the year in which the terri- 
tory became a state, 

Benjamin Johnson, Thomas P, Eskridge, 

Andrew Scott. Charles S. Bibb. 

Charles Jouett James Woodson Bates, 

Robert P. Fletcher, Edward Cross. 

Joseph Selden. Thomas J. Lacy. 

William Trimble, Archibald Yell, 

Alexander Clayton. 

From 1819 to 1828 the court consisted of three mem- 
bers; from 1828 to 1836, of four, Benjamin Johnson 
remained upon the bench from the date of his appoint- 
ment until the territory ceased to exist, when he was 

I. The survey in Arkansas began in 1815. The fifth principal meridian was 
established in that j'ear, as was the base line from the mouth of the St. Francis 
to the Arkansas. This line was finished to the western line of the state in 
1837, 1838, and 1841. 



88 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



appointed district judge of the United States court, 
which position he held until his death in 1849 — after 
twenty-nine years of honorable and capable service to 
his state and country. The first session of the court 
was held at Arkansas Post in 1820; later sessions were 
held at Little Rock. 

55. The Second Legislature. The second legislature 
of the territory (the first whose delegates were elected 
by the people) was held at Arkansas Post in 1820 (Feb. 
7 to Feb. 20). The body was composed of a council 
consisting of five members, and a House of Representa- 
tives of ten members. The principal act of this body 
was the enactment of a law moving the capital of the 
territory to Little Rock. 

56. New Counties. At the sessions of the legislature 
held in 1820 and 1823 five new counties were created: 



County. 



Miller 

Phillips 

Crawford . . . 

Independence 
Chicot 



Date of formation. 



April I, 1820; Abol- 
ished 1836; Rees- 
tablished 1874 ... 

May I, 1820 

Oct. 18, 1820 



Oct. 23, 1820. 
Oct. 25, 1823. 



Named after. 



Gov. Miller 

Sylvanus Phillips... 
Hon. Wm. H. Craw- 
ford 



Pt. Chicot. 



County seats. 



Monticello, Helena. 

Crawford Court- 
house, Van Buren. 
Batesville. 

Villemont, Columbia. 
Lake Village. 



Besides the Greenbrier settlement already mentioned, 
settlements had already sprung into existence at the 
mouth of Polk Bayou (Old Batesville), Big Bottom, 
and Oil Trough Bottom. The latter has long been 
noted as one of the most fertile in America. 

57. The Choctaws. By the Quapaw treaty of 1818, 
the western line of the territory acquired by the United 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 89 

States from the Quapaws, was designated as a line run- 
ning througli the sources of the Kiamishi river, a branch 
of the Red river, and the Poteau, a branch of the Arkan- 
sas. This was thought to be the western line of Arkan- 
sas territory and settlers moved to the land east of it 
and began their clearings. They also began settle- 
ments west of the line. 

General Jackson, under direction of the govern- 
ment, issued orders to the commanding officer at Fort 
Smith to remove all white settlers from the west of the 
Kiamishi-Poteau line. Capt. Bradford, m 1819, found 
about two hundred settlers trespassing to the west, 
and directed them to remove farther east. They 
thereupon selected new grounds to the east and felt 
secure in their holdings. But the western line of Ar- 
kansas territory was not to remain the Kiamishi- 
Poteau line. After many conflicts our present western 
line was finally established. 

The first interest to be considered by the govern- 
ment was that of the Indians. The Quapaw right had 
been purchased by the government, and it was the 
legal owner of all the territory within the limits of the 
present state of Arkansas, and to the west as far as 
the Louisiana purchase extended. This western limit 
was not then determined. 

The second interest was that of the whites in the 
older states to the east, whose boundary lines were 
determined and upon whose soil the Indians yet 
remained, although not subject to their laws. 

The third and last interest was that of the white 
settlers in Arkansas, who without legal right had 
settled upon government lands. 

In the settlement of these interests the government 



go HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

acted with wisdom and prudence, and at length 
reached a conclusion, which satisfied all claims. 
Here and there, perhaps, an individual felt himself 
injured, but in questions of this kind adjustments can 
be made only by considering the greatest good of the 
greatest number. Jefferson conceived the idea of a 
western territory for the Indians, into which no white 
settlements should extend and over which no state laws 
should dominate. The necessity for this grew appar- 
ent as the older states became more densely populated. 
Two governments within one boundary caused con- 
stant friction, and the Indian always was the loser. 

Friction of this kind even led the state of 
Georgia to nullify a decision of the supreme court of 
the United States, and to call out her militia to oppose 
the United States authority. To John C. Calhoun, 
who, as a cabinet officer during Monroe's administra- 
tion, had to deal with the Indian question, is due the 
greatest credit for the final solution of the problem. 
General Meigs and General Jackson also lent their aid 
in the settlement of the question. 

The Choctaws were settled within the boundaries of 
Mississippi and Alabama, and it became necessary to 
protect them against state encroachment; but this was 
impossible so long as they remained as aliens on state 
soil. Calhoun offered them the alternative of dissolving 
all tribal relations and becoming citizens of the United 
States, with a limited amount of land in severalty, or of 
going west of the Mississippi river upon other govern- 
ment lands. Very unwillingly they chose the latter 
alternative. On October i8, 1820, they signed a treaty 
by which they exchanged their lands east of the Mis- 
sissippi for a large tract south of the Arkansas river in 



HIS TOR V OF A RKA NSA S. ^t 

Arkansas and Indian Territory, and west of a line 
beginning on the Arkansas river, opposite the termina- 
tion of the old Cherokee line at Point Remove and 
running southwestwardly to a point on Red river, three 
miles below the mouth of Little river. This ended 
the difficulty in Mississippi but started a new one in 
Arkansas. The Choctaws began to remove, and in a 
short time had made settlements on the south side of 
the Arkansas river and on the north side of the Red 

river. 

In December, 1821, Henry D. Downs, under direc- 
tion of the secretary of war, surveyed the line from 
Point Remove to Red river, a distance of one hundred 
and fifteen miles. He found 375 families of white 
settlers, averaging seven to a family, between the 
Point Remove-Red river line and the old Kiamishi- 
Poteau line. He advised the secretary of war to have 
the new line moved westward to the Kiamishi-Poteau 
line. The settlers became clamorous and the Arkan- 
sas legislature petitioned Congress for aid. The sec- 
retary of war proposed a further removal to the 
Choctaws, but they refused to go as far west as the 
Kiamishi-Poteau line. Congress passed a law in 1824, 
establishing the western boundary of Arkansas as a line 
beginning forty miles west of the Missouri line and 
running south to Red river. This was idle legislation, 
and could not affect the treaties made by the Choctaws 
and Cherokees. Their lines remained where their 
treaties placed them, and left the white settlers upon 
Indian lands subject to removal. 

Finding that the Indians would not agree to the 
Kiamishi-Poteau line, the secretary of war proposed 
to give the Choctaws lands between the Arkansas and 



92 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

Red rivers west of a line drawn from a point one hun- 
dred paces east of the fort at Fort Smith, due south to 
Red river. The offer was accepted by the Choctaws 
and a treaty was made to that effect in 1825. A few 
white settlers were left between this line and the 
Kiamishi-Poteau line; they received from the govern- 
ment grants of other land further east. This disposed 
of the Choctaw question and settled forever the south- 
ern part of our western boundary line. 

When Jackson became President, the question of re- 
moval of the Indians was paramount in North Carolina, 
South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, 
and Tennessee; as he favored their removal from these 
states, he could not ignore the petition of Arkansas for 
the removal of the Cherokees, the only Indian nation 
remaining on Arkansas soil. Hence in 1828 a treaty 
was made with the Cherokees by which they moved 
farther west, and by which the remaining part of our 
western boundary line was declared to be a line from 
Ft. Smith northwesterly to the southwest corner of 
Missouri. This line is the western boundary to-day. 
The last Choctaw treaty left the greater part of Miller 
county upon Indian soil, and the county was abolished. 

58. Dwight Mission. The first Protestant mission in 
Arkansas was organized in 1820, at Old Dwight, above 
Russellville, by Cephas Washburn, a Congregational 
minister, under the direction of the American Board 
of Foreign Missions. He passed through Little Rock 
on July 4, 1820, and preached in a house which he 
described as " a small cabin made of round logs with 
the bark on." At that time there was but one other 
house where Little Rock now stands, and this was 
built by Col. Moses Austin in 1819. The audience of 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 93 

Mr. Washburn consisted "of fourteen men and no 
women." 

Passing on up the river he selected a location for his 
mission at Dwight, and at once began the erection of 
several cabins and a larger house for a boarding school. 
Within two years, although the Cherokees were at 
war with the Osages, he had an enrollment of one hun- 
dred Cherokee boys and girls. He had seven assistant 
teachers, and the school exerted a marked influence 
upon the character of the Cherokees. It soon gained 
great reputation, and many white men who afterwards 
acquired distinction in Arkansas, were among its stu- 
dents. This was the first organized educational enter- 
prise in the state. 

59. Little Rock in Embryo. When Mr. Nutall passed up 
the Arkansas in March, 1819, he found only Mr. Hogan 
and a few other families in the neighborhood of Little 
Rock. But when preemption claims began to be filed, 
it appeared that many persons had settled upon or near 
the land where the city now stands. Peter Franks and 
his wife, Rachel, declared that they had lived on a four- 
hundred-acre tract of land at or near a place called 
" Little Rocks " and they sold their " claim " to 
William Russell for $40. By this purchase Russell 
thought he had gained the exclusive right to buy this 
land when the government should offer it for sale. 
William Lewis and George Stewart also declared that 
they had lived on the land in 1814. Two others, Jack- 
son and Joel Crain, claimed the land because of settle- 
ment thereon, and they sold their' claim to Roswell 
Beebe, who afterwards sold one half of it to Chester 
Ashley. James Debaun and a lawyer, Robert C. Oden, 
also lived there in 1819. Thus there were a number 



94 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

of claimants ready to buy the land as original settlers, 
or as owners of the latter's rights, when Congress 
should offer it for sale. In July, 1820, there were but 
two houses there, but from that date on the settlement 
progressed rapidly. 

In addition to these preemption claimants, there 
were men holding " New Madrid Certificates," who 
now began to seek localities upon which to locate their 
claims. When New Madrid was destroyed by an earth- 
quake, the government granted certificates to those 
who had lost their lands, permitting them to locate 
claims elsewhere upon government lands (see p. 65). 
William O'Hara had bought several of these and 
located them upon the ground where Little Rock now 
stands. O'Hara sold a part of these claims to Stephen 
F. Austin, afterwards known as the " Father of Texas," 
and to James Bryan. They at once laid off a town, 
called it Arkopolis, and began to sell lots. 

In the meantime Russell, who owned the Franks 
claim, associated with himself William Trimble, Thomas 
P. Eskridge, Henry W. Conway, Joseph Harding, 
Robert C. Oden, and Robert Crittenden, and laid off 
another city called Little Rock. The survey of the 
city into blocks, streets, and alleys was made by Allen 
Martin, who lived on the north side of the river. The 
name Little Rock was preferred to Arkopolis. Allen 
Martin's survey became the basis of the city started. 
Russell and his associates have been called the " First 
Proprietors of the Soil." They sold a great many lots. 
Every preemption claimant, however, engaged in the 
same business and the result was a great number of 
conflicting claims. The government, soon after this, 
decided that no claims were valid that were based upon 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 95 

an occupancy of the soil before the government received 
the title from the Indians. It was decided also that 
the New Madrid claims were not valid, because the 
New Madrid certificates were to be located only upon 
lands that were subject to sale at the date of the New 
Madrid Relief Act. 

The conflicting claims of Russell and Beebe were 
still unsettled. On Sept. 25, 1839, the government 
issued its patent to Roswell Beebe. On July 6, 1838, 
when it became evident that Beebe would succeed, he 
being desirous to protect innocent purchasers under 
other claims, entered into an agreement with the mayor 
and aldermen of Little Rock to the effect that when 
his patent should be issued, he would upon demand 
quitclaim to any person holding a perfect title from 
any one or all of the original owners or proprietors. 
Shortly after this Ashley entered into the same agree- 
ment, and when the patent was issued to Beebe, these 
agreements were faithfully carried out, and a vexatious 
trouble of eighteen years' duration was happily ended. 

Governor Miller never liked the situation of Little 
Rock. Upon his arrival he purchased a large tract of 
land near Crystal Hill, fifteen miles above Little Rock, 
and lived there while in Arkansas. He undertook to 
have the capital removed to Crystal Hill but was 
unsuccessful. 

General Explanation of Land Claims. In 
the settling of claims to the western country many 
new expressions came into use, which we must be sure 
to understand. The nations of the earth recognize 
occupancy of the soil as a claim to ownership of it. 
The amount occupied must not be greater than is 
demanded by the needs of a family. The Indian right 



96 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

to a limited quantity of land has never been disputed, 
but his right to large areas which he cannot and will 
not use has been denied. The United States held 
large areas which it did not use, but an effort was 
always being put forth to settle these tracts. The 
government held the land in trust for actual settlers, 
and invited settlements to be made according to fixed 
rules. Lands were to be surveyed into tracts of con- 
venient size and offered for sale. 

Many men eager to obtain the choicest of the lands 
would not wait for surveys and sales. They roamed 
over the country in covered wagons, selected the land 
they wanted, generally near a spring, and began their 
clearings. Such settlers were called " squatters." 
They were the first to occupy and cultivate the land, 
although without legal authority. Yet these squatters 
were doing what the government desired to have 
done, — they were developing the country. Hence 
Congress gave the squatter the first right to buy what 
he had settled on when it should be offered for sale — 
a preemption right as it was called. The law granting 
such preemption right was known as the " squatter 
land law," and thence has come the term, " squatter 
sovereignty." When a preemption is granted which 
may be located anywhere it is called a "preemption 
float." 

When the land is paid for, the government gives a 
deed called a " land warrant," or a " patent." If this 
warrant is a gift to soldiers, it is called a " soldier's 
land warrant." 

From 1806 to the time of the admission of Arkansas 
into the Union there were hundreds of men in the state 
who had no intention of settling there. They were 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 97 

hunters who built log huts where they pleased, cleared 
small tracts of land for a garden, and remained until 
the game became scarce; then they departed to other 
regions where game was plentiful and proceeded as 
before. When Congress passed the preemption law 
in 1814, a class of speculators sprang into existence 
who used the law for their own advantage. They 
made diligent search for the hunters who had "camped ' ' 
at times on the lands, purchased their preemption rights 
for nominal sums, and located the lands. The Land 
Department of the United States and the courts of the 
state were besieged by a number of these claimants, 
and were forced to devote much time to a settlement 
of these claims. The result was that a large number 
of regulations, decisions, and statutes were formulated 
— the land laws of the state and the nation. 



CHAPTER XI. 

GEORGE IZARd's ADMINISTRATION, 1825-1828. 

60. Biographical Sketch. 62. Churches. 

61. New Counties. 63. Dueling. 

64. Schools. 

60. Biographical Sketch. On the resignation of Gov- 
ernor Miller to accept another position, President John 
Quincy Adams appointed George Izard of South Caro- 
lina to succeed him. George Izard's education began 
in Paris and was continued at Columbia College. His 
military education was obtained in England and Ger- 
many. He entered the corps of French engineers and 
completed its course of studies. In the War of 1812 

mST. OF ARK. — 7 



98 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



he was made major-general. He was of commanding 
appearance, and of courtly manners. His administra- 
tion was wise and good. He died in November, 1828, 
and was buried in Little Rock.^ 

61. New Counties. In the three sessions of the legis- 
lature that convened during Governor Miller's admin- 
istration, the following counties were created: 



County. 


Counties 

from which 

formed. 


Date of 
formation. 


Named 
after. 


County Seats. 


I. Conway 


Pulaski 


Oct. 20, 


1825 


Henry W. 
Conway. 


Cadron, Marion, 
H arrisburg, 
Lewisburg, 
Springfield, Mor- 
rilton. 


2. Crittenden.. 


Phillips 


Oct. 22, 


1825 


Robt. Crit- 
tenden.. 


Greenock, Marion, 


3- Izard 


Independence 


Oct. 27, 


1825 


Gov. Izard 


Liberty, Mount Ol- 
ive, Mount Ver- 
non, Melbourne. 


4. St. Francis. - 


Phillips 


Oct. 13, 


1827 


St. Francis 
River... 


Franklin, Madison, 
Forrest City. 


5. Lovely 


Lovely's Pur- 












chase 


Oct. 13, 


1827 


Lovely 
Purchase. 




6. Lafayette .. 


Hempstead .. 


Oct. 15, 


1827 


Marquis de 
Lafay- 
ette 


Chickaniny, Prai- 
rie, Lewisville. 


7. Sevier 


H e m p s t e ad 












and Miller . 


Oct. 17, 


1828 


Ambrose 
H. Sevier 


Paraclifta, Locks- 
burg. 


8. Washington. 


Lovely 


Oct. 17, 


1828 


Geo. Wash- 










ington .. 


Washington Court- 
house, now Fay- 
etieville. 



Nineteen counties had thus been created one of 
which had been abolished. Settlements were spring- 

1. Governor Izard always called the final j in Arkansas an interloper, and 
erased it upon the official letter heads which contained it. Upon the station- 
ery provided by himself the word was spelled Arkansa. Robert Crittenden 
acted as governor several months before the arrival of Gov. Izard and from 
November, 1828, to March, 1829. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



99 




COUNTIES IN ARKANSAS IN 



AFTER EXTINGUISHMENT OF INDIAN TITLES. 



Arkansas, December 31, 1813. 
Lawrence, January 15, 1815. 
Clark, December 15, 1818. 
Pulaski, December 15, 1818. 
Hempstead, December 15, 1818. 
Miller, April i, 1820. 
Phillips, May i, 1820. 
Crawford, October 18, 1820. 
Independence, October 23, 1820. 



Chicot, October 25, 1823. 
Conway, October 20, 1825. 
Crittenden, October 22, 1825. 
Izard, October 27, 1825. 
St. Francis, October 13, 1827. 
Lovely, October 13, 1827, abolished 1828. 
Lafayette, October 15, 1827. 
Sevier, October 17, 1828. 
Washing-ton, October 17, 1828. 



The present western boundary of the state was the joint result of the two 
treaties between the United States and 'the Choctaw and Cherokee nations. It 
was surveyed from Ft. Smith south in 1825, and from the same point north in 
1829. 



100 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

ing up in all directions to usher in the second era of 
progress, the reign of the farmer with his fields, flocks, 
and herds, the real developer of the state. 

62. Churches. The Protestant churches began their 
work in Arkansas through traveling preachers as early 
as 1810. A Cumberland Presbyterian preacher, John 
Carnahan, held services at Arkansas Post in 181 1 and 
a memorial window has been set apart for him in the 
Presbyterian church at Little Rock. 

In 1816 the Methodists established a congregation, 
and built a church at Mound Prairie, Hempstead county, 
called Henry's Chapel. Spring River Circuit was 
established by the same denomination in 1815. In 1820 
the Methodists had six circuits: Pecan Point, Hot 
Springs, Mound Prairie, Arkansas, Spring River, and 
White River. There were at that time 511 white 
members and 25 colored members. 

The first sermon at Little Rock was preached in 1820 
by Rev. Cephas Washburn, the Congregationalist, who 
was then on his way to establish the mission at Dwight. 
The Presbyterians erected a log chapel in Little Rock 
a few years afterwards, w^hich was used by the Metho- 
dists for many years until they built themselves a house. 

The Baptists began their work in the state at a very 
early date. They built the first church in Little Rock 
in the year 1825. It was of logs and was used for a 
long time by the legislature. The Christian church 
began organic work in 1832. 

In the country, preaching went on at irregular times, 
in such houses as the neighborhoods provided. Men 
went to church with their guns and dogs. Should the 
dogs start a bear during services the men grasped their 
rifles and left the women and the preacher to finish the 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. loi 

services. From these churches, however, have pro- 
ceeded our law-abiding, honest and fearless citizens. 

63. Dueling. Two noted duels occurred during 
Governor Izard's administration, one of which cast a 
gloom over the entire state. This took place in Mis- 
sissippi, opposite the mouth of White river. Henry W. 
Conway was mortally wounded by his antagonist, 
Robert Crittenden. Both men were young and useful. 
Conway had filled many important positions, and at the 
time of his death was serving his third term as delegate 
to Congress. He never swerved in the discharge of 
duty and was very popular. His antagonist was a 
talented, eloquent, and vigorous man. He was closely 
connected with political events in the early develop- 
ment of Arkansas. The difficulty grew out of political 
differences. 

The other duel between Thos. W. Newton and 
Ambrose H. Sevier occurred at Point Remove. One 
shot was fired without injury to either of the antago- 
nists. Then they shook hands and became friends. 

The settling of difficulties by duel was very popular 
in those days; it is now regarded as a species of 
lawlessness. The community through its judicial 
institutions guarantees protection to every man, and 
takes from all the right of self redress, save in self 
or home defense. 

64. Schools. Besides the Mission at Dwight, there 
were many private schools, conducted in the towns by 
competent teachers. Tuition was charged, but it was 
so low as not to occasion hardship. In the country, 
schools were started in the communities as the settle- 
ments enlarged, all of them being upon the " old field " 
plan. Pupils rode from five to ten miles and remained 



I02 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



from sunrise till sunset. The books were scarce and 
the accommodations few. The teacher was expected 
to be educated, to have good traits of character and 
to discipline the pupils and develop their manhood. 

Many men who afterwards 
became noted in the affairs 
of the state were taught in 
these humble schools. 

In 1827 Congress gave 
to Arkansas seventy-two 
sections of land for the 
^~ purpose of establishing 
a seminary of learning. 
Some of the selections 
were made in 1827, and 
the remainder under the 
administration of Gov. 
Pope. Major E 1 i a s 
Rector^ made the choice 
of land, and they were reported as being the best and 
most valuable lands in the state. 

In 1829 the legislature passed the first law concerning 
public schools. It authorized the appointment of town- 
ship trustees, the leasing of each sixteenth section, and 
the application of the rental to the support of schools 
in the township. In many neighborhoods the fund was 
sufficient to support a school, but in the greater number 
it was necessary to supplement it by subscriptions. 

I. Major Rector was one of the most noted of early Arkansas men. His 
bearing was distinguished and his dress of the greatest elegance. He dressed 
in black silk velvet made in the best of fashion. His linen was of the finest and 
most elaborately ruffled. His hat was a costly Mexican sombrero, and he 
wore morocco boots. He was the bravest of the brave and has been im- 
mortalized by Albert Pike in that noted song, " The fine old Arkansas 
Gentleman, close to the Choctaw line." 




MAJOR ELIAS RECTOR. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 103 

CHAPTER XII. 
JOHN pope's administration, 1829-1835. 

65. Biographical Sketch. 68. New Counties. 

66. National Laws. 69. Elections. 

67. The New Statehouse. 70. Newspapers. 

65. Biographical Sketch. John Pope was born in 
Virginia. He moved to Kentucky and was elected 
United States senator, the colleague of Henry Clay. 
President Jackson appointed him governor of Arkansas 
territory in 1829, and again in 1833. He brought with 
him to Arkansas his family, servants, and household 
goods. 

The political conflicts at that day were exceedingly 
bitter and the Whigs throughout the state criticised 
Governor Pope severely;^ but he maintained his posi- 
tion without swerving. His object always was the 
highest interest of the state, and all private considera- 
tions had to yield to this. His private life was above 
all reproach and his administration was among the 
greatest in territorial days. 

It was this governor who had the courage to 
say: "In justice to the people of this territory, I 
declare, in the face of the world, and on the respon- 
sibility of my public and private character, that, 
among no people with whom I am acquainted, are 
the ordinary offenses against the property and peace 
of society less frequent; stealing and robbery are 
rare; nowhere are the moral and social relations main- 

I. The parties in Arkansas were called the " Sevier " and the " Crittenden " 
party. Sevier was a strong Jackson man and at that time had the largest 
influence of any man in the state. 



I04 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

tained with more fidelity; and even the black popula- 
tion seem to acquire a laudable pride and elevation 
of character the moment they breathe the Arkansas 
atmosphere." 

Judge William Savin Fulton was also appointed to suc- 
ceed Robert Crittenden as secretary of the territory. 
Crittenden had held the position for ten years, and had 
three times been the acting governor. Hon. Jesse 
Turner of Van Buren said of him: " He was a man of 
brilliant and powerful mind. As an orator he had no 
rival in the territory, and, in my judgment, has had no 
equal since his day." 

66. National Laws. i. Congress enacted that all the 
officers who had been appointed by the governor should 
henceforth be elected by the people. 

2. Ten sections of land were given the state upon 
which to raise money to build a statehouse. 

3. The expenses of the legislature were made a 
charge upon the national, instead of the territorial 
treasury. 

4. Arrangements were made by which the mails were 
to be transported by steamboat from Little Rock to 
Memphis. 

67. The New Statehouse. The legislature and the 
territorial offices were kept in huts about town for the 
first eight years. In 1827 Robert Crittenden built a fine 
brick house as a residence and a brick office in which 
he kept the records of the governor and the secretary. 
When the ten sections of land were given to Arkansas 
to provide a statehouse, the legislature passed a law 
authorizing an exchange of the ten sections for the 
house of Mr. Crittenden. Governor Pope vetoed this 
bill, giving as a reason that the lands were worth more 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 105 

than the house. ^ This offended the men who had 
secured the passage of the law, and they sent a petition 
to Congress asking for the governor's removal. Con- 
gress answered this by passing a law conferring on the 
governor full powers with reference to the ten sections 
of land, delegating to him the authority that had before 
been vested in the territorial legislature. It author- 
ized him to make selections, to sell the lands, and to 
erect a statehouse. 

In February, 1833, the sales were made, and the sum 
of $31,722 was realized. The house of Mr. Crittenden 
was sold the same year for $6, 700. The grounds for the 
statehouse were donated in part by the citizens of 
Little Rock, and the work of building at once began. 
Mr. Weigart was the architect, and Chester Ashley the 
superintendent. The building, begun in 1833, was 
ready for occupancy in 1836. The first legislature 
after the admission of the state into the Union was 
held in the new statehouse, then one of the finest 
buildings in the South. For sixty years it has been 
the capitol and stands to-day as a monument to the 
honesty, energy, and good taste of the men who had 
charge of the government in territorial days. The 

I. The grounds for the veto were six in number : 

I. That Congress had authorized the legislature to select the land and then 
sell it. That the legislature might select, but it could not sell the right to 
select. 

II. That the fund was to be applied to the purchase of a temporary state- 
house instead of a permanent building. 

III. That the locality of the residence was not in the business quarter of 
the town. 

IV. That it was a sacrifice of public property without a fair equivalent. 

V. That it was impolitic to sell lands not selected upon a supposed valuation. 

VI. That the movement was premature, and would place the final disposi- 
tion of the fund beyond the control of the people, before they understood its 
import or the value of the lands. 



io6 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



State has long since outgrown the building and a new 
one is needed which shall better represent our present 
position of importance. 

68. New Counties. The legislature which convened 
at Little Rock in 1829 created six new counties and 
established the first seat of justice for each at a house 
in the neighborhood. The following is the list: 



County. 


Counties 

from which 

formed. 


Date of 
formation. 


Named 
after. 


County seats. 


I. Pope 


Crawford 


Nov. 2, 


1829 


Gov. Pope 


Scotia, Old Dwight, 
Norristown, Do- 






















ver, Russellville. 


2. Union 


Hempstead 












and Clark.. 


Nov. 2, 


Ta?:o 




Encorea, Fabre, El 












Dorado 


3. Hot Spring . 


Clark 


Nov. 2, 


1820 


Hot Sprgs. 


Hot Springs, Rock- 


4. Monroe 


Phillips and 








port, Malvern. 




Arkansas .. 


Nov. 2, 


1825 


Pres. Mon- 
roe 


Law r e n c e v i 1 1 e, 


5. Jefiferson 


Arkansas and 








Clarendon. 




Pulaski .... 


Nov. 2, 


1829 


Pres. Jef- 
ferson .. 


Pine Bluff. 


6. Jackson 


Independent . 


Nov. 5, 


1829 


Pres. Jack- 
son 


Litchfield, Eliza- 
beth, Augusta, 
Jacksonport, 
Newport. . 



The next session of the legislature (1833) created 
seven new counties. 



County. 


Counties 

from which 

formed. 


Date of 
formation. 


Named 
after. 


County seats. 


I. Mississippi.. 


Crittenden ... 
Izard 


Nov. I, 1833 
Nov. I, 1833 

Nov. I, 1833 
Nov. 5, 1833 
Nov. 5, 1833 






2. Carroll 




Carrollton, Berry- 
ville, Eureka 
Springs. 

Murfreesboro. 
Paris, Gainesville, 
Paragould. 

Cauthron Waldron. 


3. Pike 

4. Green 

5. Scott 


Hempstead 
and Clark.. 

Lawrence 

Crawford and 
Pope 


Zebulon M. 
Pike .... 

Judge An- 
drew 
Scott.... 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



107 



County. 



6. Van Buren. 



7. Johnson ... 



v^ounties 

from which 

formed. 



Conway, Iz- 
ard, and In- 
dependence. 

Pope 



Date of 
formation. 



Nov. 1 1, 1833 
Nov. 16, 1833 



Named 
after. 



Judge 
Benj. 
Johnson. 



County Seats. 



Bloomington, Clin- 
ton. 



Clarksvillle. 



69. Elections. In 1829, the contest for delegate to 
Congress was between Richard Searcy and Ambrose H. 
Sevier. Sevier was elected. George W. Scott was 
appointed United States marshal, and Richard C. 
Byrd of Pulaski, auditor. In 1831 Ambrose H. Sevier 
was reelected. The most exciting race for Congress 
ever known in the territory occurred in 1833 between 
Ambrose H. Sevier, Democrat, and Robert Crittenden, 
Whig, in which the latter was defeated. This was the 
last contest of Mr. Crittenden. He died the next year 
at Natchez. 

70. Newspapers. In 1830 Charles P. Bertrand started 
the second newspaper in the state at Little Rock and 
called it " The Advocate." The contest between this 
new paper and the " The Gazette " began at once and 
became more bitter each year. In 1834 John W. Steele 
started " The Political Intelligencer " at Little Rock. 
"The Gazette" was called the Sevier organ; "The 
Advocate," the Crittenden organ; and "The Intelli- 
gencer," the Pope organ. " The Gazette " and " In- 
telligencer " were Democratic, and " The Advocate," 
Whig. 



io8 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

CHAPTER XIII. 

WILLIAM S. FULTON's ADMINISTRATION, 1835-1836. 

71. Biographical Sketch. 74. Roads and Waterways 

72. Preparations for Statehood. 75. Population. 

73. The First Constitutional Con- 76. Liberation of Texas. 

vention. 77. New Counties. 

71. Biographical Sketch. William S. Fulton was 
appointed governor of the territory in 1835. Governor 
Fulton was born in Maryland in 1795. He moved to 
Alabama, where he married, and he was a resident of 
Florence when he was appointed secretary of Arkansas 
territory. He held this position for six years. He 
acted as governor until Arkansas was admitted into the 
Union; then he was elected senator, a position which 
he held until his death, August 15, 1844. 

Lewis Randolph, grandson of Thomas Jefferson, was 
appointed secretary of the territory, Archibald Yell 
judge of the superior court, and Major Elias Rector, 
marshal. Col. Ambrose H. Sevier was for the fifth 
time elected delegate to Congress. 

72. Preparations for Statehood. The year 1835 will 
ever be memorable for the exciting events which grew 
out of the agitation for statehood. Public meetings 
were held all over the state to discuss the advisability 
of seeking admission to the Union. An election held 
in September, 1835, resulted in the triumph of the 
State party. The legislature met the following month 
and passed a law calling a convention to frame a con- 
stitution and to petition Congress to admit the state 
into the Union. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 109 

73. The First Constitutional Convention. The con- 
vention met at Little Rock, Jan. 4, 1836, and elected 
John Wilson, president and Charles P. Bertrand, sec- 
retary. There were fifty-one members. They adopted 
a constitution and despatched Charles M. Noland to 
Washington to deliver it to the President. President 
Jackson submitted the document to Congress, which 
raised two objections to it — (i) that the constitution 
permitted slavery; (2) that the formation of a consti- 
tution without authority of Congress was irregular. 
The act admitting Missouri was held to answer the first 
objection conclusively, as Arkansas was south of the 
line established therein. As to the second objection, 
the attorney-general of the United States declared that 
the people had a right to assemble peaceably and peti- 
tion and that the convention was merely a peaceable 
assemblage of the people, and the constitution a 
petition for admission into the Union as a state. 

The bill to admit Arkansas to the Union passed Con- 
gress June 15, 1836, and was signed by the President 
the next day. The state was allowed one representa- 
tive until the next census was taken. The contest in 
the House of Representatives was exciting. The 
Senate passed the Arkansas admission bill and sent it 
to the House. Two other bills, one for the correction 
of the Ohio boundary line, and another for the admis- 
sion of Michigan were attached to it. This made three 
parties in the House: (i) The Ohio, (2) the Michi- 
gan, (3) the Arkansas, each of which had its followers, 
There was a fourth party, headed by John Quincy 
Adams, which opposed the admission of Arkansas 
with slavery. 

Day after day passed with no decision upon any 



no HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

of the bills. At last the friends of the three bills 
united forces. The northern line of Ohio was soon 
settled. Then the Michigan bill was read once, and 
the reading of the Arkansas bill followed. The same 
tactics were employed upon their second reading, and 
upon their final passage. The bill for these two 
states passed the House of Representatives the same 
afternoon, and the call of the roll showed that admis- 
sion forces were more than three to one against the 
anti-slavery party which voted against the admission 
of either state. It was at this time that Mr. Wise of 
Virginia held the house in session twenty-five hours in 
a speech which lasted all afternoon, all night, and until 
ten o'clock the next day. 

74. Roads and Waterways. Early in the history of 
the territory laws had been passed for the improve- 
ment of the roads. Under these laws the work was to 
be done by citizens and by free negroes. No tax was 
levied upon the property of the state and as a conse- 
quence the roads, though numerous, were very poor. 
Bridges were of a rude type, and not so numerous as 
the roads. 

Col. Sevier lost no opportunity in Congress to gain 
aid for Arkansas from the general government. It 
was he who urged the granting of ten sections of land 
for the building of the statehouse. He secured also 
one thousand acres for the Pulaski jail and courthouse. 
Through his efforts $236,000 were obtained to improve 
the navigable waters of the state and to build a road 
from Memphis to Little Rock. Snag boats entered 
the state in 1834 and began the work of clearing the 
channels of our streams. Steamboats traversed our 
waters in great numbers, bringing large additions to 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS, in 

the population of the state. Sevier began the agitation 
for statehood and pushed it to successful completion. 
Meanwhile many toll roads and bridges were being 
constructed; energy and enterprise characterized the 
territory. 

75. Population. The census of 1830 showed a popu- 
lation of 30,388 or more than twice the number in 1820. 
Four fifths of this number were white people. On the 
first day of January, 1835, the census showed a popula- 
tion of 51,809, nearly four times as many people as there 
were in 1820. This great growth in fifteen years was 
remarkable, — equal in percentage to that of any state 
in the Union. 

The emigration as a rule followed the parallels and 
was chiefly from Tennessee and North Carolina. Great 
numbers, however, came from Mississippi, Missouri, 
Georgia, Kentucky, and Virginia, and smaller num- 
bers from the northern states. These newcomers were, 
with few exceptions, intelligent, law-abiding, energetic 
citizens. Slaveholders came with their slaves and 
opened large farms and plantations, and what was 
before a dense wilderness now became a region of 
flourishing cotton fields. ^ The masters protected and 

I. Arkansas has always been noted for its cotton. Upon the islands dis- 
covered by Columbus the plant was widely cultivated. In the houses of the 
earliest colonists quantities of yarn were always kept ready to be woven into 
cloth or twisted into nets. At what period the industry spread to the valley of 
the Mississippi is not known. The fabric ornamentation found upon much of 
the pottery would seem to indicate the use of cotton. Charlevoix observed it 
in Natchez in 1722; Bienville in 1735 wrote to Paris that it grew well upon the 
Mississippi; Vaudreuil in 1746 said that cotton had been received at New 
Orleans from the "Illinois." This term "Illinois " was used at New Orleans 
to designate the region above Yazoo, and the cotton referred to was probably 
the production of the colony at Arkansas Post. As population increased it 
became more difficult to obtain the seed. This came at first from Jamaica and 
the colony of Georgia. The first seeds were black and produced a fine, silken 



112 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



supported their slaves; the slaves obeyed and loved 
their masters. Better houses were built; and art, 



fiber of good staple. The next variety of seed, from the Cumberland valley in 
Tennessee, was of a green color and produced a short staple, coarse-fibered 
cotton. The low alluvial lands of eastern and southern Arkansas were admir- 
ably adapted for the growth of cotton, and this industry soon took precedence 
over all others and added great wealth to the state. 

America produces most of the cotton used in the world, and India ranks 
next in quantity produced. Russia has entered upon the production of this 

material in her south Asian 
provinces, while Germany 
and France are encouraging 
its growth in their African 
colonies. The Mexicans and 
Peruvians at the date of the 
discovery of America wore 
cotton clothing, and it is 
stated that the Mexican va- 
riety of cotton is different 
from the Asiatic varieties. 
The world at present uses 
about 12,000,000 bales, or 
about 6,000,000,000 pounds of 
cotton per year. This at 7 
cents a pound would yield the 
enormous sum of $420,000,000. 
Prior to 1794 the process of separating the fiber from the seed was so slow as 
to make the industry unprofitable. The lint was picked from the seed by 
hand, and around many a fireside this was a nightly occupation. The inven- 
tion of the cotton gin by Whitney pushed the cotton industry to the front, and 
the manufacture of the cotton gins themselves provided another valuable 
industry. 

Prior to 1798 China and India made most of the cotton fabrics and prints of 
the world, but the introduction of power looms and spinners has caused Eng- 
land and the United States to take the lead in manufactured goods, although 
every great nation engages in the work. Before the Civil War, the cotton 
production was so great as to create the saying, "Cotton is King." 

Cotton was first put up in long bags. Later a rude wooden box or press 
worked by levers was employed. The first screw press was invented by 
William Dunbar of Mississippi. The cost of the first press was over a thou- 
sand dollars and caused Mr. Dunbar to write: "I shall endeav^or to indemnify 
myself for the cost by making cotton-seed oil." This gave rise to another 
great industry amounting in the cotton-growing states to nearly $30,000,000 
each year. Thus one improvement leads to another and the result of all is a 
general increase of trade, and a corresponding increase of comfort and general 
progress among all the people. 




COTTON cix. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 113 

music, and learning began to exercise their powers 
over the people. 

76. Liberation of Texas. The year 1836 was memor- 
able for a struggle made by Texas for independence. 
Stephen F. Austin planted a colony in southeastern 
Texas, and endeavored to gain for it recognition as a 
Mexican state. Failing in this, he and his associates, 
Houston, Lamar, Travis, Smith, and Bowie, established 
an independent government called the Republic of 
Texas, This, however, was not done without oppo- 
sition and war. Santa Anna, the dictator of Mexico, 
marched into Texas and attempted to overpower the 
young government. The people of the southwestern 
part of the United States wxre in sympathy with Texas, 
and furnished it with men and money. 

One of the most noted Arkansas gatherings of terri- 
torial days was a barbecue given in the interests of 
this republic by John Bowie, at his plantation below 
Helena. Invitations were sent to all parts of Arkansas 
and to the Indian nation. The barbecue lasted three 
days and was attended by hundreds of the richest 
planters, and by a numerous crowd of adventurers. 
Speeches were made by prominent men from Mississippi 
and Arkansas, a large sum of money was raised, and 
several companies of men were recruited, who started 
at once for the scene of war. These men were familiar 
with the forest, and knew how to handle the rifle and 
the bowie knife, hence they made effective soldiers in 
the contest that followed. 

Gen. Sam Houston and Col. David Crockett, who 
had a short time before passed through Arkansas, had 
created much enthusiasm for Texas. Many Arkansas 
men enlisted and were killed at San Jacinto. This 

HIST. OF ARK. — 8 



114 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



war occasioned great alarm along our southwestern 
border. Fears were entertained that the Mexicans 
would form a confederacy with the Indians and attack 
our frontiers. Gov. Fulton called for volunteers, and 
six companies of troops organized at once and marched 
to our southwestern boundary. The success of the 
Texans restored confidence and the volunteers returned 
home. 

77. New Counties. Late in the year 1835 the legis- 
lature created four new counties: 



County. 


Counties 

from which 

formed. 


Date of 
Formation. 


Named 
after. 


County Seats. 


1. White 

2. Randolph. .. 

3. Saline 

4. Marion 


Pulaski, Inde- 
pendence 
and Jackson 

Lawrence 

Pulaski 

Izard 


Oct. 23, 1835 
Oct. 29, 1835 

Nov. 2, 1835 
Nov. 3, 1835 


White 
River... 

John Ran- 
dolph 

Saline 
River.., 

Gen. Mar- 
ion 


Searcy. 

Bettis' Blufl[, Poca- 
hontas. 

Duncan's Benton. 




Vellville. 



General Note. Arkansas as seen by the German hunter, 
Gerstaecker (1837): " I was nov^r in Arkansas. Game seemed 
to abound. Flocks of wild turkeys filled the forests as thick as 
partridges in Germany, and deer were equally plentiful; in one 
day I saw several herds of ten or twelve head each. On the 
23d of January I came to Spring river, so named for the crys- 
talline clearness of its waters, I stayed all night with a Penn- 
sylvanian who spoke German. On the following morning I set 
off again on my travels, and turned a little out of my way to 
climb a rocky height, when an eagle suddenly rose before me. 
I fired. For a minute or two he floated motionless in the air, 
then flapping his wings, he mounted higher and higher, till I 
could hardly distinguish him. I concluded that I must have 
missed him, and was reloading, when he turned in the air and 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 115 

fell dead to the ground. He was a large bird, measuring seven 
feet from wing to wing. I was pleased with my shot as it was 
the first eagle I had killed. In imitation of the Indians, I orna- 
mented my cap with one of his feathers." 

I have met, in all parts of America, a number of very worthy, 
amiable people, as also some very bad characters. But here, in 
this solitude, I found a family not to be surpassed in worth and 
amiable qualities in any part of the world. An old man, with 
trembling hands, sat by the fire, and though many winters had 
bleached his locks, his rosy cheeks showed that he was still strong 
and hearty. Opposite sat a noble-looking matron, considerably 
younger than her husband, but still of great age. By her side 
was a young and pretty woman of the neighborhood, whose 
husband had taken a journey to the north on business. Three 
stout, blooming youths came in, one after the other, from shoot- 
ing, bringing four wild turkeys. I was already far enough 
advanced in English to take part in the conversation, the edu- 
cated American being very indulgent to foieigners in this 
respect. The young wife had just received a letter from her 
husband, which she read through and through ten times over. 
She had been very unfortunate in Arkansas. The doctors had 
killed three of her children, and she herself was suffering from 
inflamed eyes through their ignorance. There is no authority 
to control their practice in the new states, and every quack who 
chooses may call himself doctor. They prescribe calomel for 
every disorder, and decayed teeth, inflamed eyes, spongy gums 
and shattered health are the universal consequences." 

My next night was passed at the house of a Kentuckian. He 
had about a dozen dogs, one of which he presented to me. I 
started on next day, and at a good distance in front of me, saw a 
deer feeding in the path. Distrusting my dog. I fastened him to 
a tree with my pocket handkerchief and the string of my powder 
horn. I went on until I was within about eighty-five paces of 
the deer, when I fired. But I fired too low, for the deer bounded 
away, limping with his hind leg. By this time the dog must 
have thought that he had played the spectator long enough, 
and having bitten through the powder horn string, he bounded 
after the deer with my handkerchief about his neck, and neither 
deer, dog, nor handkerchief have I ever seen since." 



Ii6 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

One year later he visited the Oil Trough Bottom. After 
speaking of its great fertility he says: " Trees grow to an 
enormous size, some of the trunks of the sassafras trees meas- 
uring from five to six feet in diameter. Pawpaw trees are 
also very numerous. The fruit was not to my taste, nor do all 
Americans like it. The bark of the tree is very tough and is 
useful for a variety of purposes, amongst others for ropes. Just 
now the fruit was quite out of favor, and even the pigs would 
no longer eat it. A distiller of the neighborhood by the name 
of Magness tried its qualities, and extracted such a superior 
spirit from it, that he declared he would not sell a drop of it, 
but keep it all for his own drinking." This book is full of 
fine descriptions of early Arkansas, its people, their habits and 
customs, and is the only source from which we can ascertain 
the names of many of the old pioneers. Hilger and Turoski on 
the Little Red river, Spanger, Von Sackendorf and Fisher at 
Little Rock, Strong and Saint near the St. Francis, Hamilton at 
Black Fish Lake, Magness in Oil Trough Bottom, Dunn between 
L'Augiiille and the White river, Harriot on the Cache, Pearce 
on Brushy Lake, Rankin, Hogarth, Kelfer, Haller, and Kean of 
Fourchele Fave, Collman of the Ouachita, Slowtrap and Curley 
of Yell county, Davis on the Mulberry, and Conwell on the " Bos- 
ton Mountain Divide," are each and all saved from oblivion by 
the pleasant reminiscences of this foreigner. He found Dan- 
ville, the new county seat of Yell to be exactly the size of Perry- 
ville, two houses and a stable. The changes to which new 
settlements were subjected are thus described: " If the posi- 
tion of a new town be good it grows incredibly fast; if bad, 
merchants and travelers desert it, houses are left unfinished and 
fall to pieces, and the courthouse, as I once saw near White 
river, may be turned into a corn crib." 

Boundary of Arkansas. 

Beginning at the S. W. corner of Mo. or in the center of 
Sec. 19, T. 21 N. R. 34 W., thence in a straight line S., bearing a 
little E. to strike the E. line of Sec. 4 T. 8 N. R. 32 W. ; thence in a 
straight line S. bearing a little W. to where the line strikes Red 
river in Sec. 14 T. 13 S. R. 33 W. ; thence along said river to the 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 117 

S. W. corner of Sec. 7 f. 14 S. R. 28 W. ; thence S. to the N. W. 
corner of the N. E. qr. of Sec. 18, T. 20 S. R. 28 W.; thence east 
along the 33d parallel of latitude to the middle of the Mississippi 
river; thence N. with the channel of the river to the 36th parallel ; 
thence W. with said jiarallel to the middle of the St. Francis river; 
thence up the main channel of said river to the 36° 30' of N. Lat. ; 
thence W. with said parallel, or along the southern boundary of 
Missouri to the place of beginning. The real N. E. corner of the 
state is in Sec. 2 T. 21 N. R. 9 E. about one half mile N. E. of the 
bend in the St. Francis to the W. All State lines run with the 
parallels and meridians and not with the government survey- 
lines. On the northern line of Clay county the St. Francis river 
is taken as the state line — thus making what are called " The 
Lost Lands." Some of these are taxed in Missouri; some in 
Arkansas; while others are not taxed at all. All these lands 
south of 36° 30' belong to Arkansas. Belle Point Island in the 
Mississippi is wholly within the boundary of the state. 

List of Territorial Officers. 

Territorial Officers. 

Territorial Governors. 

Date of 
Name. Appointment. 

James Miller March 3, 1819 

George Izard March 4,1825 

John Pope March 9,1829 

William Fulton March 9,1835 

Territorial Secretaries. 

Robert Crittenden March 3,1819 

William Fulton April 8, 1829 

Lewis Randolph Feb. 23, 1S35 

Territorial Auditors. 

George W. Scott Aug. 15, 1819 

Richard C. Byrd Nov. 20, 1829 

Emzy Wilson Nov. 5, 1831 

William Pelham Nov. 12, 1833 

Elias N. Conway. July 25, 1835 



ii8 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



Territorial Treasurers. 



James Scull Aug. 5,1819 

S.M.Rutherford Nov. 12,1833 

Delegates to Congress, 

James W. Bates 1820-1823 

Henry W. Conway '. . 1823-1829 

Ambrose H. Sevier 1829-1836 

Pre- Territorial Judges. 
Chas. Jouette, Arkansas Post 1814 

Territorial Judges. 
First Circuit. Second Circuit. 

James W. Bates 1819. Neill McLean 1819. 

Stephen F. Austin 1820. T. P. Eskridge 

Richard Searcy 1820. Richard Searcy 1823. 

T. P. Eskridge 1823. J. W. Bates 1825-1836. 

Andrew Scott 1827. 

S. C. Roane 1829. 

Third Circuit. Fourth Circuit. 
Samuels. Hall 1823-1836. Chas. Caldwell 1828-1837. 

Recapitulation. 

Arkansas under the United States. 

1. As part of the province of Louisiana — Dec. 26, 
1803, to Mar. 20, 1804. 

2. As district of Louisiana attached to Indiana terri- 
tory — Mar. 26, 1804, to Mar. 3, 1805. 

'Gen. James Wilkinson, 
1805-1807. 

. ^ .^ ... ) Meriwether Lewis, 1807- 

3. As territory of Louisiana ( o 

Benjamin A. Howard, 
^ 1809-1812. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 119 

Make topics of each by using the sub-heads of the 
book. 

i Benjamin A. Howard, June 
4, 1812, to Oct. 31, 1812. 
Wilham Clark, Oct. 31, 
1812, to July 4, 1819. 

Topics as above. 

James Miller,July 4, 1819, 
to July 4, 1825. 
As Arkansas territory (jGeorge Izard, 1825-1828. 

John Pope, 1829-1835. 
Wm. S. Fulton, 1835-1836. 

Fill blanks and calculate percentage of increase: 

1785- 
1799 — 

. ,1810 — 
Population {^g^^_ 

1830 — 
1835- 

Counties at { Name each. /By using the sub- 

formation ■] Reasons for name. 1 heads under 

of state. ( County sites. ] each chapter. 

Each Administration /i. Outline. 

)2. Write a con- 
nected story. 
3. Question. 

The Indian title was recognized by the United States 
and extinguished by treaties of purchase or exchange. 

i I. That with the Osages. \ Study these: 

There were ) 2. That with the Cherokees. ( i. Catechetically. 

four treaties. ] 3. That with the Quapas. I 2. Topically. 

( 4. That with the Choctaws. ) 3. By research. 

Connect Arkansas history as it developed since 1803 
with that of the United States. 

How are territories formed and governed ? 



I20 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

Hoy.' are states formed? Discuss the Arkansas road 
system. 

Discuss the public lands. Discuss the early schools 
and churches. 

Write an essay on French occupancy of Arkansas; 
on Spanish occupancy; on United States occupancy. 

Write essays upon the smaller subdivisions. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

JAMES s. Conway's administration, 1836-1840. 

78. The Elections. 85. The Arsenals. 

79. The First Legislature. 86. Five Per Cent Land Grant. 

80. Legislative Proceedings. 87. The Penitentiary. 

81. The Great Seal. 88. The Texas Boundary. 

82. Indian Troubles. 89. Eemoval of the Eastern Chero- 

83. Compact with the TI. S. kees. 

84. New Counties. 90. Border Kuffianism. 

91. Lynch Law. 

78. The Elections. By this time party spirit between 
the Whigs and Democrats ran high. During the meet- 
ing of the Constitutional Convention, the leaders of 
each party had appointed State Central Committees, 
tc call conventions, arrange the representation, and 
transact all other party business. This system of com- 
mittees has been followed ever since. Before the elec- 
tions each party selects its candidates. The party 
candidates are chosen by a series of primaries begin- 
ning in the townships and. ending in the counties. The 
people belonging to each party meet in the townships 
and select delegates to represent them at the county 
conventions. Their choice may be ascertained by a 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



121 



viva voce vote or by ballot. At a later day the dele- 
gates from the townships meet at the county seat and 
select delegates to the state conventions. 

The delegates from the townships and counties may 
go instructed or uninstructed. When instructed they 
vote for the men chosen by the people; when unin- 
structed they vote as their judgment dictates. After- 
wards the county delegates meet at the capital, or some 
other place chosen by the State Central Committee and 
select the party candi- 
dates. These candidates 
are called the nominees of 
the party, and claim the 
full party support. The 
people make the final 
choice at the polls. 

The first Democratic 
State Convention met at 
Little Rock on April 12, 
1836, before the state's 
admission into the Union, 
and nominated James S. 
Conway for governor, and 
Archibald Yell for dele- 
gate to Congress. The Whig Convention met on April 
19 and nominated Absalom Fowler for governor, and 
William Cummins for delegate. All other officers 
were to be chosen by the legislature. 

As this was the first time that candidates for 
governor and presidential electors had come before 
the people, the canvass was unusually interesting. 
Each of the candidates for these positions except Mr. 
Conway " took the stump " to convince the people 




JAMES S. CONWAY. 



122 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

that his party was entitled to their suffrage. This sys- 
tem of canvassing has been followed ever since, and in 
later years was adopted by the candidates seeking the 
party nomination. Mr. Conway refused to canvass 
because his duties as surveyor general demanded his 
full time; but he outlined his views upon state affairs 
in a masterly letter which was scattered among the 
voters. The election was held on the first Monday in 
August, 1836, and resulted in the victory of the Demo- 
cratic candidates. 

79. The First Legislature. This body met in the new 
capital Sept. 12, 1836, counted the vote, and declared 
James S. Conway elected governor for the term of four 
years. His inauguration took place on Sept. 13 amid 
grand displays. A band of music and a company of 
mounted rangers from Randolph county escorted the 
governor from his residence to the statehouse. He 
was attended by Ambrose H. Sevier, Judge Edward 
H. Cross, Col. Rector, Capt. Brown, and Lieut. Col- 
lins of the United States Army. After being sworn 
in he delivered his inaugural address and began his 
work as governor of Arkansas.^ 

I. James S. Conway was born in Tennessee of a distinguished family. In 
1816 he moved to St. Louis. In i82jhe began surveying in Arkansas, and in 
1823 settled on Red river, in Lafayette county. In 1825 he surveyed the 
western boundary of the state, and in 1S31 the southern boundary. In 1832 he 
was appointed surveyor general of the state. He served one term as gov- 
ernor, then retired to private life. His administration" was honest and effi- 
cient. His messages concerning public education show sound reasoning and 
far-reaching foresight. His opponent Absalom Fowler, was a Tennessean, 
who had lived in Arkansas for many years. As a lawyer Gov. Conway had 
few equals, and in all respects was a great man. 

William Cummings, the defeated candidate for Congress, was born in Ken- 
tucky. He came to Arkansas in 1824, and settled at Little Rock. He took 
rank among the best lawyers at the bar, and was for many years associated 
with Albert Pike. He was a staunch Whig, and as such was elected to mem- 
bership in the first Constitutional Convention, and to the legislature in the year 



n I STORY OF ARKANSAS. 



123 




The legislature elected Robert A. Watkins, secretary 
of state; Elias N. Conway, auditor of state; William 
E. Woodruff, treasurer; Daniel Ringo, chief justice of 
the supreme court, and Thomas J. Lacy and Townsend 
Dickson, associate jus- 
tices. Ambrose H. Sevier 
and William S. Fulton 
were elected to the Senate 
of the United States. 
President Jackson ap- 
pointed the veteran terri- 
torial judge, Benjamin 
Johnson, as judge of the 
United States district 
court; Thomas J. Lacy,^ 
district attorney ; and 
Elias Rector, marshal. 
With these officers the 
state began its career. 



3-fe^a 




v/*^ 



BENJAMIN JOHNSON. 

The first presidential election in which the state par- 
ticipated occurred in November and resulted in the 
casting of the vote of Arkansas for Martin Van Buren. 
80. Legislative Proceedings. The legislature had now 
to make laws for the young state and to provide for 
the maintenance of the government. Courts were to 
be established in every part of the state ; the militia had 
to be organized, and taxes levied. Nearly every state 
had wrestled with the question of state banks, all but 
three or four of which had failed. Arkansas passed 
two laws at the first session of the legislature to meet 

1840, when the Whigs triumphed in Pulaski county. He died in 1843. Ebenezer 
Cummings, a younger brother of his had a national reputation as a lawyer. 

I. Thomas J. Lacy declined this appointm';;nt and accepted the position of 
judge of the supreme court. 



124 HISTORY OF ARJiTAA'SAS. 

the popular demaad for money and credit. One was 
for the establishment of a " State Bank; " the other 
for a "Real Estate Bank." In both laws the state 
gave its credit to the banks by issuing a number of 
state bonds, and giving the banks authority to sell 
them, with the understanding that the banks them- 
seh^es were to pay the bonds with interest when they 
became due. Under these laws the state delivered its 
bonds to the banks, authorizing them to sell them at 
par only, and to use the proceeds as capital. The State 
Bank, whose officers were elected by the legislature, 
received i,ooo of the bonds, each calling for $i,ooo. 
Branches of this bank were opened at Batesville and 
Fayetteville. 

The Real Estate Bank had its own stockholders and 
elected its own officers. The state delivered 2,000 of 
its bonds to the bank, each having the same value as 
those loaned to the State Bank. Branches of this bank 
were opened at Washington, Columbia, Helena, and 
Van Buren. As we shall see hereafter, these ventures 
resulted in failure and created a state debt which still 
remains unpaid. 

81. The Seal of the State. The old seal of the terri- 
tory was made the seal of the state, except that the 
words, " Seal of the state of Arkansas " were added. 
This remained the legal seal until 1864, when the pre- 
sent seal was adopted. 

82. Indian Troubles. In the treaties with the Choc- 
taws and Chickasaws, the United States bound itself to 
protect them against the incursions of other wild tribes. 
For this purpose troops were stationed at the several 
forts in the territory. The troops were withdrawn 
temporarily and sent to aid Gen. Taylor in his war 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 125 

with the Seminoles. Taking advantage of their absence, 
the Comanches and Pawnees attacked the Choctaws 
and the Chickasaws. President Jackson immediately 
issued a requisition on Arkansas for a full regiment of 
cavalry and Oov. Fulton honored it. Ten companies 
responded and marched to Washington, Hempstead 
county, where they were mustered into service. They 
then marched into Indian Territory and occupied 
Ft. Towson until Feb., 1837, when they were relieved 
from this service. 

83. Compact with the United States. Upon the admis- 
sion of Arkansas into the Union, Congress made the 
following stipulations which were acceded to by the 
legislature: 

1. The i6th section of each township was to be 
granted to the state for the establishment of schools 
in such township. 

2. Twelve salt springs were to be reserved for the 
state. 

3. Five per cent of the net proceeds of the sale of 
government lands in the state was to be reserved and 
paid to the state for making roads and canals. 

4. Five sections of land were to be granted to the 
state to complete the public buildings. 

5. Two townships were to be granted for seminary 
purposes. 

6. The state was not to interfere with the United 
States in the disposal of government lands, nor to tax 
them. 

7. Non-residents were never to be taxed higher than 
residents. 

8. Certain bounty lands were to be exempt from 
taxation for three years. 



126 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



This solemn compact with the government is per- 
petual and may not be changed by any state law, with- 
out the consent of Congress. 

84. New Counties. The following new counties were 
formed during Governor Conway's administration: 



County. 



1. Madison 

2. Benton 

3. Franklin ... 

4. Poinsett 



5. Desha .. 

6. Searcy .. 



Counties 

from which 

formed. 



Washington . . 

Washington.. 

Crawford 

Greene and 
St. Francis. 



Date of 
formation. 


Sept.30, 


1836 


Sept.30, 


1836 


Dec. 19, 


1837 


Feb. 28, 


1838 


Dec. 12, 


1838 


Dec. 13, 


1838 



Named 
after. 



Pres. Mad- 
ison 

Thomas 
Benton.. 

Joel Poin- 
sett 

Capt. Ben. 
Desha .. 

Judge 
Richard 
Searcy . . 



County Seats. 



Huntsville. 



Bentonville. 
Ozark. 



Bolivar, Harris- 
burgh. 

Napoleon, Watson, 
Arkansas City. 



Lebanon, Marshall. 



85. The Arsenals. During the year 1836, F. L. Jones, 
an officer of the United States, came to Little Rock and 
selected a site for an arsenal. The work of erecting 
buildings began at once but it was several years before 
they were all completed. This place was used before 
the Civil War for storing arms and ammunition. Troops 
were stationed there at all times, and during the war 
the arsenal became a position of great importance. 
A military post had been established at Belle Point in 
1817. This name was changed in 1818 to Ft, Smith. 
The original fort consisted of large blockhouses sur- 
rounded by a stockade as a protection against the 
Indians. When the boundary of the state was moved 
forty miles farther west, Ft. Smith was discontinued 
and Ft. Gibson was erected on the frontier. But in 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 127 

1837 Congress directed the secretary of war to erect a 
new fort at Ft. Smith. Three hundred acres were pur- 
chased from John Rogers and a new stone fort was 
erected and a national cemetery located. During the 
period of its construction, Capt. Belknap erected tem- 
porary works and gave them the name Ft. Belknap. 
Troops occupied Ft. Smith in 1842. Among their "offi- 
cers were Jefferson Davis, Zachary Taylor, Gen. 
Arbuckle, W. S. Hancock, and B. L. E. Bonneville. 

86. Five Per Cent Land Grant. On June 23, 1836, 
Congress passed a law granting to Arkansas five per 
cent upon the net proceeds of the sale of all public 
lands within her boundaries. (§ ^^^ 3) This was in 
lieu of state taxation of United States lands within the 
state. The amount accruing to the state to June 30, 
1880, was $227,359.05. 

87. The Penitentiary. During a session of the legis- 
lature held in 1838, an appropriation was made for a 
state penitentiary at Little Rock. Land was purchased 
and the work was begun, but it was not completed until 
the year 1842. The cost for grounds and buildings 
was $70,000. In August, 1846, there was a mutiny of 
the prisoners, in which the buildings were set on fire 
and destroyed. New buildings were erected in 1849. 

88. The Texas Boundary. In the spring of 1840, the 
boundary line between Arkansas and the republic of 
Texas was established by commissioners appointed by 
ther respective legislatures. The line from the 33d 
parallel of north latitude, our southern boundary, due 
north to Red river was established and remains our 
boundary to-day. By this survey a large part of Miller 
county was found to lie within the republic of Texas 
and was thus authoritatively cut off. 



128 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

89. Removal of the Eastern Cherokees. The remainder 
of the Cherokees were removed from the old home east 
of the Mississippi river during the years 1837-1838. 
This removal was the result of a forced treaty made at 
New Echote, Ga., on Dec. 29, 1835. The majority of 
the tribe under Ross opposed it; the Ridge party fav- 
ored it. The states of Georgia, Tennessee, and North 
Carolina were determined, however, that the Indians 
should leave, and President Jackson with his iron will 
forced them to go. Two years were spent by the 
Cherokees in a fruitless effort to have the treaty set 
aside. Webster, Clay, Calhoun, and Henry A. Wise 
made eloquent speeches in favor of Cherokee rights, 
but these states would not be convinced. 

Gen. Scott was finally sent to remove the Indians by 
force, whereupon they agreed to move of their own 
accord. They started from Calhoun on the Hiawasse 
river in McMinn county, Tennessee, in parties of one 
thousand each. The Ridge party crossed at Memphis 
and passed through northern Arkansas. The Ross 
party crossed at Green's ferry and passed through 
Bentonville. In the small towns along their route they 
always asked for " fire water," (their name for whisky.) 
They generally drank too much and became wild and 
boisterous. The best citizens of the state tried to 
persuade the whisky sellers to close their shops. In 
every town where no whisky was sold the Indians 
marched through without offending any one, presenting 
the picturesque scene so beautifully described by the 
eloquentpreacher-lawyer of Arkansas, A. W. Arrmgton. 

At Fayetteville, one grocer could not resist the temp- 
tation to make money, and opened his saloon. When 
the door was opened the dusky-faced crowds pushed in. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 129 

The door was blocked and more than one hundred were 
forced to stand outside. These passed their money 
from hand to hand into the shop and received in 
return their measures of whisky. They then made up 
a " pony purse " and bought a whole barrel of brandy. 
This was rolled out before the store, and everybody 
was invited to drink. Tin cups and gourds of the whis- 
ky were handed round and the crowd soon became 
noisy. They were peaceable, however, and but for the 
act of an intoxicated white man might have remained so. 

This man insulted a Cherokee woman and was 
knocked down by an Indian named Nelson Orr. The 
keeper of the saloon interfered and Orr turned upon 
him with a flashing bowie knife. In the fight that 
ensued, Orr was killed. The Indians rushed to their 
camp for their guns and soon returned by hundreds to 
avenge his death. At their head rode twenty horsemen 
under command of William S. Goody. The citizens of 
Fayetteville assembled to protect the town. Coody 
called to them that he desired to prevent bloodshed, 
but that he could not do so unless the murderer of Orr 
left the town. The murderer fled to the forest. Then 
Coody and the more rational Indians, with almost super- 
human bravery, stood before the enraged savages, dis- 
puting their passage until they understood that the 
murderer had escaped. They then sullenly returned to 
camp. This incident divided the citizens of Fayette- 
ville into two factions, for and against the murderer; 
it led to other murders and gave the city much trouble 
for many years thereafter. 

Arkansas was the scene of much suffering during 
these Indian removals. In 1832 several thousand 
Choctaws, Seminoles, and Cherokees, in charge of gov- 

HIST. OF ARK, — 9 



I30 HIS TOR Y OF A RKA NSA S. 

ernment officers, were conducted across the state. 
Many of these were attacked by cholera and suffered 
greatly from its ravages. The contagion spread to the 
whites but its effects were not alarming. In many cases 
the contractors who had agreed with the government to 
transport the Indians took advantage of their trust and 
literally starved the Indians to death. 

Gerstaecker, the great German hunter, who lived in 
Arkansas for many years, says: '' Next day we passed 
along a part of the route by which some years ago a num- 
erous body of eastern Indians, having given up their 
lands to the United States on condition of receiving 
other equally good lands in the west, were conducted by 
the parties who had engaged to provide for them on 
their journey. Numerous square holes cut in the fallen 
trees showed where the squaws had pounded their maize 
to make bread. More melancholy traces were visible in 
the bones of human beings and animals which were 
strewn about. Many a warrior and squaw died on the 
road from exhaustion and the malady engendered by 
their treatment; and their relations and friends could do 
nothing more for them than fold them in their blankets, 
and cover them with boughs and bushes, to keep off the 
vultures, which followed their route by thousands, and 
soared over their heads; for their drivers would not 
give them time to dig a grave and bury their dead. 
The wolves, w^iich also followed at no great distance, 
soon tore away so frail a covering and scattered the 
bones in all directions. 

" The government had contracted with individuals for 
a certain sum which was quite sufficient to convey the 
poor Indians comfortably; but they were obliged to 
part with all they had for bread, selling their rifles and 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 131 

tomahawks, and their horses for two or three dollars; 
and, while they died of hunger and distress, the con- 
tractors made a fortune," 

The Creeks, under their chiefs, RoUa and Chilley 
Mclntosch, passed through in 1833. A deputation of 
Seminoles went to Indian Territory in 1832, and upon 
their return to Florida, advised the Seminoles not to 
leave. The Seminoles acted upon this advice and 
refused to remove. General Taylor was directed to 
remove them forcibly, which brought about the Florida 
or Seminole war. The troops from Fort Gibson, Tow- 
son, and Arbuckle, were removed by way of Little 
Rock and New Orleans to Tampa Bay, Florida. 

Step by step the Indians were forced back until at 
last they surrendered. Osceola, their greatest chief, 
died in prison at Fort Moultrie. The lesser chiefs, 
Micanopy, Alligator, Tiger Tail, and Jumper, with a 
large party of Seminoles and Creeks were sent under a 
guard of soldiers to the territory. Their farewell to 
their sunny home was a most affecting scene. All 
through the years 1834 to 1839, these removals went 
on by way of Little Rock. The suffering of the early 
marches caused the government to transport the later 
Indians upon boats. The steamboats engaged in this 
business on the Arkansas river were the Fortsmouth, 
Princeton, and Creole. General Taylor was then placed 
in command of the military department of the south- 
west and spent much of his time at Fort Gibson and 
Fort Smith. Washington Irving made a trip to 
Ft. Smith in 1832. Gen. Bonneville of the latter place 
is described in his "Sketch Book." 

90. Border Ruffianism. Northwestern Arkansas now 
passed through another phase of civilization. Before 



132 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

1838 this region was said to be almost Arcadian in 
its virtues and simplicity. The courts rarely held 
any trials except for misdemeanors, and many grand 
juries adjourned without a single indictment. But the 
location of the Indians in the territory to the west 
brought in a host of men to sell them whisky and to 
gamble and trade with them. These men generally 
settled on the frontier between the old white settlers 
and the savages. It is said that runaways from every 
state in the Union collected along the Cherokee line 
and preyed alike upon the whites and on the Indians. 
Groceries were erected on the line one half in the state, 
the other half on Indian territory. By stepping across 
a plank in the floor the offender could defy the legal 
process of courts from the side he left. These men 
were desperadoes. Murders and robberies were of 
frequent occurrence. When arrests were made the 
defendants would summon their friends and prove an 
alibi. Thus the courts became powerless, and partly 
lost the confidence of law-abiding citizens. 

A bloody end to this state of affairs came in 1839. 
The rival parties of Ross and Ridge continued their 
quarrel in their new home in the Cherokee Nation. 
The western Cherokees who had long resided in the 
territory were called " Old Settlers " and acted with 
the Ridge party. On the night of June 20, 1839, the 
leaders of the Ridge party, Major Ridge, Elias Boudi- 
not and John Ridge, were assassinated by members of 
the Ross party. Major Ridge was on his way to Van 
Buren and was shot from a bluff about seven miles 
from Evansville, (Washington county). Elias Boudi- 
not was killed near his home at Park Hill, I. T. These 
disturbances in the Nation enabled the white despera- 



HISTOJRY OF ARKANSAS. 133 

does to commit crimes along the borders and to throw 
suspicion on their savage neighbors, as a cloak for their 
evil deeds. 

On the night of June 15, 1839, the house of William 
Wright on Cane Hill in Washington county was 
burned to the ground and he and five little children were 
brutally murdered. Mrs. Wright escaped and in wild 
terror informed the neighbors that the Indians had 
done the work. The alarm of an Indian invasion soon 
spread over the whole valley from Boonesboro to Fay- 
etteville. On the following day six or seven hundred 
people gathered at Boonesboro. It was ascertained 
that the murder and arson were the work of white men, 
and not of Indians. That night a council of old 
citizens was held and the public safety was freely dis- 
cussed. The decision finally reached was that as the 
courts could not redress their wrongs, nothing was left 
for them but to seek redress themselves. A committee 
of thirty-six discreet and reputable citizens was ap- 
pointed to make investigations and to punish the crimi- 
nals. Upon this committee were two ministers, and 
every member of it was of the old American law-abiding 
stock that has given our country its fame. 

91. Lynch Law. The committee appointed one hun- 
dred men as a company of light horse, to proceed over 
the country in squads of ten, arresting all suspicious 
persons, gamblers, idlers, and stragglers. By this 
energetic action the murderers were soon traced. 
Five men were arrested and brought before the com- 
mittee but after a trial were discharged. Upon their 
release they quarreled among themselves and disclosed 
facts which led to a second arrest of three of them. 

Another trial was begun which occupied many days. 



134 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

The defendants were given full opportunity to prove 
their innocence. One of the defendants confessed, 
but the remaining two proclaimed their absolute 
innocence. The committee then voted upon the ques- 
tion: " Shall these men suffer death? " and every vote 
but one was cast in the affirmative. On Monday, July 
29, 1839, before a crowd of more than 1,000 persons, 
John Richmond, James Barnes, and Ellery Turner 
were hanged, and the citizens of Washington county 
felt relieved. Lawlessness had been signally rebuked 
and the desperate element was removed from the 
state. From June until December, the committee 
in grim silence pursued its work. One of the 
murderers, William Baily, was still at large. He 
had fled from Cane Hill to Van Buren, thence to 
Shreveport, and thence to eastern Tennessee. Becom- 
ing bolder he returned to Arkansas and was arrested 
in Pulaski county. A guard was sent to bring him to 
Cane Hill and the committee convened for trial. The 
verdict " guilty," resulted in his execution. 

Years afterwards a reaction set in, and it was asserted 
that the men were innocent of the crime. A book was 
written by A. W. Arrington, entitled " The Despera- 
does of the Southwest," which, although well written, 
was an unfair review of the trial, and by abusing some 
of the committeemen created considerable feeling on 
the subject. Time has moderated the partisan feeling 
and has justified the committee. Their work was per- 
formed with caution and deliberation, for the highest 
and best interests of the public, albeit without due form 
of law. Lawlessness had brought terror to the land 
and summary proceedings were necessary. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



135 



CHAPTER XV. 



ARCHIBALD YELl's ADMINISTRATION, 184O-1844. 



92. The Elections. 

93. State and Real Estate Banks. 

94. The Holford Bonds. 

95. The Census. 

96. Improvements. 

97. Common School Law. 



98. Operation of the Law. 

99. New Counties. 

100. Samuel Adams' Administra- 

tion. 

101. Geological Survey. 

102. The Conventions. 



92. The Elections. The Congressional term of Archi- 
bald Yell expiring in 1838, Judge R. L. Cross of Hemp- 
stead county was elected 
to succeed him and held 
the position three terms. 
Party spirit was not so 
strong at the state elec- 
tions in 1840 and Archibald 
Yell, Democrat,was elected 
governor without opposi- 
tion.^ At the session of the 
legislature in November, 
1840, David B. Greer was 
elected secretary of state 
and William S. Fulton, 
United States senator. At 

the fourth session of that Archibald vhll. 

In November, 183S, four masonic lodges from Fayetteville, Little Rock, 
Washington and Arkansas Post, met at Little Rock and established a Grand 
Lodge. The first grand master was William Gilchrist, and the first grand 
secretary, George C. Watkins. 

1. Archibald Yell was born in North Carolina in 1797. He moved to Ar- 
kansas in 1832, to fill the position of receiver of the Land Office at Little 
Rock, to which he had been appointed by President Jackson. Resigning this 
position in 1832, he began the practice of law. In 1835 he was appointed 




136 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

body in 1842, the office of attorney-general was created, 
and Robert W. Johnson was appointed to that position. 
Ambrose H. Sevier was again elected United States 
senator; George W. Paschal, associate justice of the 
supreme court; Elias N. Conway, auditor, and John 
Hutt, treasurer. 

The presidential election in the fall of 1840 was very 
exciting. The Whigs had pictures of a log cabin with 
a coon skin tail tacked to the door, and a barrel of 
hard cider standing near. The Democrats called it 
the "Log Cabin and Hard Cider" campaign. Both 
parties held large meetings in all parts of Arkansas. 
At one monster meeting of the Whigs at Little Rock, 
one hundred and fifty men and fifty women rode all 
the way from Batesville. They brought a large canoe 
with them in sections, put it on wheels at Little Rock 
and filled it with ladies to represent the twenty-six 
states then comprised in the Union. On the prow of 
the boat was a log cabin and on the roof of this a live 
coon. The procession was very large and the songs 
were humorous. Harrison and Tyler carried the United 
States, but the vote of Arkansas went for Van Buren. 

93. State and Real Estate Banks. The financial crisis 
which culminated in other parts of the United States 

judge of the superior court. In 1836 he was elected to Congress, and in 1840 
was chosen governor of Arkansas. This position he resigned in 1044, and 
was again elected to Congress in 1846. The Mexican War breaking out, he 
returned to Arkansas, raised a regiment, and marched to the seat of war. 
Archibald Yell lost his life at the Battle of Buena Vista. He did not resign 
his position in Congress, but enlisted with the expectation of returning to 
attend to his Congressional duties. When he asked General Wool for leave 
of absence to attend the approaching session of Congress, he was told that he 
must either resign his command or attend to its duty. He remained with his 
regiment. The governor of the state treated the office of Congressman as 
vacant and ordered a special election. In this election the Whigs gained their 
first and only Congressman, Thomas W. Newton. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 137 

in 1837 did not reach Arkansas until 1841. During this 
period money was plentiful. The banks which had 
been chartered in 1836 started into existence with 
better prospects and more real capital than was usual 
with such institutions. The state had given them its 
credit, and this credit at that time was very high. 

In 1838 Ambrose H. Sevier sold 500 bonds at par to 
the treasurer of the United States for the Smithsonian 
legacy, the proceeds of which went to the Real Estate 
Bank. This transaction was soon reported at the 
money centers of the world, and when it was known 
that the government had bought Arkansas bonds at 
par, the banks had little trouble to sell two millions 
more at par to New York institutions, for European 
capitalists. 

Although the State Bank and the Real Estate Bank 
each started in with two and one half million dollars, 
they suspended specie payment in 1841. In 1842 the 
Real Estate Bank made an assignment and in 1844 
surrendered its charter. The State Bank also sus- 
pended payment, permitted its paper to depreciate in 
value and was closed up by the legislature in 1843. 
Committees of the legislature reported that, in liagrant 
disregard of the charters, managers of the banks had 
from the start acted against the interests of the state, 
in their own interests or that of their friends. Their 
paper depreciated from fourteen to forty per cent. In 
1841 they ceased to pay interest on the bonds they had 
used. 

Naturally this affected the credit of the state. Arkan- 
sas securities went below par, and thus remained for 
years. In 1836 the state owed less than nine thousand 
dollars; in 1843 her indebtedness exceeded three mil- 



138 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

lions of dollars. It was the old story of the state lend- 
ing her credit to private banking enterprises; the banks 
reaping the solid advantages, or losing by mismanage- 
ment or bad faith the real assets, while the state became 
responsible for their indebtedness. The wrecks of 
similar enterprises are mentioned in the history of 
nearly every state in the American Union. Experi- 
ences like these are costly but valuable. In all these 
enterprises the honor of the state itself remained 
unsullied. 

94. The Holford Bonds. But the honor of the state 
did not escape unblemished in the Holford bond trans- 
action. The Real Estate Bank had been granted 2,000 
$1,000 bonds to be sold at par. This condition did not 
appear on the face of the bonds but was expressed in 
the act which chartered the banks. The bank sold 
1,500 of the bonds at par and retained 500. Shortly 
afterwards it negotiated a loan with the North Ameri- 
can Trust and Banking Company of New York and 
pledged these 500 bonds for payment. The amount 
received by the Real Estate Bank was $121,336.50. 
The New York bank sold the bonds to Holford & Son, 
bankers in London, for $350,000. 

The Real Estate Bank surrendered its charter, 
but always claimed that the transaction with the 
New York bank was not a sale but a pledge, and 
that said bank had no right to sell the bonds to 
Holford. Holford demanded the face of the bonds, 
$500,000, claiming that there was nothing on the 
face of the bonds to show an innocent purchaser that 
Ihey were not to be sold for less than par. The legis- 
lature claimed that the bonds were sold in flagrant 
violation of the charter of the Real Estate Bank and 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



139 



refused to pay them. These bonds have since been 
called " The Holford bonds " and were for years a 
source of trouble to the state. In another chapter the 
student will read what disposition of the matter was 
eventually made. 

95. The Census. The enumeration of the people by 
the government in 1840 showed that Arkansas had a 
population of 97,574, an increase of over 67,000 since 
1830. 

96. Improvements. The old fireplace with its "dog- 
irons" and "pot hooks" was being displaced by 




PIONEER S ROCK HOUSE. 



Stoves. Early in 1841 a specimen of coal was brought 
from Spadra, in Johnson county, put in a basket grate, 
and set in a fireplace. Grates were soon in demand. 
Soon after this a barge of coal came down from 
Spadra, and mining interests began to grow. About 



140 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

this time a factory for hats and caps was built and the 
enterprise proved profitable. Buildings of modern 
form began to spring up. Farms were flourishing. 
The life of the pioneer had not yet wholly departed but 
was slowly giving place to a higher civilization. 

In 1841 Congress donated 500,000 acres of land to 
the state for internal improvements. The lands were 
immediately located and sold, and the proceeds were 
applied to improving the navigable waters and the pub- 
lic roads. Levees along the Mississippi river to protect 
the lands from overflow were begun in Chicot county. 
The student can hardly realize to-day the immense 
labor and expense involved in transforming the wilder- 
ness and gaining the many comfortable surroundings 
we now enjoy. 

97. Common School Law. In 1843, Governor Yell in 
his message to the legislature said: "As the public 
mind is elevated in the scale of learning, so are the 
means of advancing the moral and intellectual progress 
increased and rendered stable. Hence self-preserva- 
tion should be a sufficient incentive to lay deep and 
broad the foundation of universal education. In a 
government like ours, where the people govern, they 
should be both virtuous and intelligent. They are 
then not only willing to obey the laws, but are compe- 
tent to make them." The legislature then passed a 
law to establish a system of public schools. It was 
well devised but it lacked a good money basis. The 
whole wealth of the state was but $22,000,000, and the 
total tax collected for all state purposes about $30,000. 
A new system of schools was impossible. The law 
was an impetus to thought, however, and an aid to the 
schools already in existence. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



141 



I 



98. Operation of the Law. Commissioners were 
created in every township to sell the i6th sections. 
The township was a district under the control of 
three trustees, authorized to build houses and employ 
teachers. The schools were to be kept open five 
months. The teacher was to be of good moral 
character and competent. The trustees were required 
to visit the schools once a month and examine the 
pupils, to see that cleanliness and decency were 
practiced and that the pupils had proper books. 
Those children who were able to pay were expected to 
do so by subscription. A State Board of Edacation 
was established consisting of the governor, the presi- 
dent of the Senate, the speaker of the House of Repre- 
sentatives, the supreme judges, and ten members of the 
legislature. This system went into practical operation. 
Jackson county reported 22 free schools with 500 chil- 
dren; Jefferson county, 10 schools with 200 pupils; 
Ouachita county, 11 schools with 141 pupils; Union 
county expended $732. Thus the state with less than 
one child to each square mile began its educative work.^ 

99. New Counties. The legislatures of 1840 and 1842 
created seven new counties: 



County. 


Date of 
formation. 


Named after. 


County Seats. 


1. Yell . 


Dec. =;, 1840 
Dec. 18, 1840 
Dec. 18, 1840 
Nov. 2g, 1842 
Dec. 9, 1842 
Dec. 14, 1842 
Dec. 21, 1842 


Gov. Yell 

Capt. Bradley 


Danville Dardenelle 


2. Bradley 

3. Perry 

4. Ouachita 


Warren. 

Perryville. 

Camden. 




5. Montgomery 

6. Newton 

7. Fulton . 


Thos. W. Newton... 
Gov. Fulton 


Mount Ida. 



I. In i860 there were 652 schools distributed among the counties as fol- 
lows: Arkansas 7; Benton 21; Bradley 15; Crawford 24; Conway 19; Car- 
roll 24 ; Clark 6 ; Calhoun 8 ; Craighead 2 ; Franklin 22 ; Hempstead 25 , 



142 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS, 



100. Samuel Adams' Administration. Governor Yell 

being nominated as delegate to Congress, resigned his 
governorship April 29, 1844,1 and Samuel Adams, 
president of the Senate, became governor. He was a 
Virginian by birth and moved to Johnson county, 

Arkansas, in 1835. He 
acted as governor until 
the election of Governor 
Drew in August, 1844, 
when he was elected 
state treasurer. His first 
message to the legisla- 
ture was an able and 
patriotic paper. He died 
in 1856. 

loi. Geological Survey. 
A geological survey of 
the state was provided 
for in 1843, but owing to 
the difficulty of finding a 
competent surveyor, the 
survey was not actually made until 1857, w^hen the work 
was performed by the famous geologist, David Dale 
Owen, assisted by a corps of learned men. 

102. The Conventions. The political campaign this 
year was very exciting. Both parties held conventions 

Hot Springs lo ; Independence 21; Izard 13; Jefferson 12; Johnson 49; 
Lawrence 3 ; Lafaj-ette 8 ; Madison 22 ; Mississippi 2 ; Monroe 8 ; Montgom- 
ery 4 ; Newton 4; Ouachita 28; Perry 8; Phillips 22; Poinsett 11; Polk g; 
Pulaski 13; Randolph 10; Saline 40; Searcy 6; Sebastian 21; Scott 10; 
Sevier n ; St. Francis 15 ; Union 29 ; Washington 57 ; White 29 ; Yell 2. 
Twelve counties were not reported. Some of these had successful schools. 
I. The Democratic Convention nominated Elias N. Conway for governor, 
and David I. Chapman, for Congress. Mr. Conway declined to canvass, and 
the Democratic committee selected Chapman to take his place; Chapman 
refused to run, and Thos. S. Drew was nominated in his stead. 




SAJVIUEL ADAMS. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 143 

and nominated full tickets. The Democrats nominated 
Thomas S. Drew of Randolph for governor, and Archi- 
bald Yell for Congress. The Whigs nominated Dr. 
Lorenzo Gibson of Hot Spring county for governor, 
and David Walker of Washington county for Congress. 
The Democrats were successful. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

THOMAS s. Drew's administration/ 1844-1849. 

103. The National Elections. 108. Tlie Mexican War. 

104. The Annexation of Texas. 109. The Treaty of Guadeloupe- 

105. Arkansas and Arkansaw. Hidalgo. 

106. Indian Troubles. 110. Legislative Work. 

107. Supreme Court Changes. 111. Special Election. 

112. New Counties. 

103. The National Elections, The Democrats of 
Arkansas favored the election of James K, Polk for 
the presidency and the Whigs that of Henry Clay. 
The state gave its vote for Polk, who favored the 
annexation of Texas. Polk was elected. Thomas S. 
Drew was elected governor. 

104. The Annexation of Texas. The legislature of 
1844 passed a resolution calling upon our senators to 
vote for any measure that would aid Texas in her 
efforts to become a part of the American Union. 

I. Thomas S. Drew was born in Vermont. He entered Arkansas in 1821, 
and settled in Clark county, where he served as county clerk from 1C23 to 
1825. Removing to Lawrence county, he was selectea as a member of the 
Constitutional Convention. He was twice elected governor (1844 and 1849), 
but resigned soon after his second election, alleging that his salary was not 
sufficient to support his family, He died in Texas in 1S80. 



144 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 




VV ^^-^^ 



Chester Ashley, who on the death of Senator Fulton 
had been elected to the Senate, made his first speech 
in the Congress of the United States upon this question. 
It was pronounced one of the most brilliant speeches 
made, and at once gave him a national reputation as 
statesman and orator. This legislature also elected 

Thomas Johnson chief 
justice of the supreme 
court, over Daniel Ringo, 
who had held the position 
since 1836. 

105. Arkansas and Ar- 
kansaw. The dispute 
over the pronunciation 
of the word Arkansas 
began at an early day. 
One party wished to pro- 
n o u n c e it as it was 
spelled, the other accord- 
ing to usage and phil- 
ology. Senator Sevier 
pronounced the word, 
Ar'kansaw, and Senator Ashley, Arkan'sas. The 
president of the Senate used both forms, and when 
Sevier arose he was recognized as "the senator from 
Arkansaw, " and Ashley as "the senator from Arkan- 
sas." Years after this the legislature of Arkansas, in 
order to bring about a uniformity of pronunciation and 
to discourage the innovation of pronouncing the final j, 
passed a resolution declaring the pronunciation to be 
Ar^-kan-saw. This was the first example of legisla- 
tion to establish pronunciation and spelling, but it 
was effective. The dictionaries, spelling books, and 




CHESTER ASHLEY. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



145 



geographies adopted it, and it is now the only proper 
pronunciation.^ 

106. Indian Troubles, The Cherokees of Indian Terri- 
tory, becoming dissatisfied with their neighbors, crossed 
the state line in hostile squads into Benton county, 
destroyed some prop- 
erty, and alarmed the 
citizens. The governor 
ordered a company of 
militia from Benton 
county into service and 
placed Col. Ogden in 
command. The com- 
pany encamped near the 
scene of the Indian de- 
predations, but were not 
required to use arms. 
The Indians returned to 
their own country and 
made no further at- 
tempts at hostility. 
(1846). 

107. Supreme Court Changes. In 1845 Luke E. Bar- 
ber was appointed supreme court clerk, and held this 
position until 1886, with the exception of a short period 
from 1S68 to 1874. In the same year the legislature 
elected W. S. Oldham and Edward Cross associate 
justices of the supreme court; Oldham resigned in 
1848, and was succeeded by Christopher C. Scott, of 
Camden, who retained the position until his death in 




AMBROSE H. SEVIER. 



I, The Eclectic Society of Little Rock presented the question of the pro- 
nunciation to the legislature, and secured the action of that body thereon. 
HIST. OF ARK. — lO 



146 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

1859. In 1846 Elbert H. English was appointed supreme 
court reporter. He was also selected by the legislature 
at this time to codify and annotate the statutes of the 
state. Thomas J. Lacy having resigned, William B. 
Conway was elected judge of the supreme court. 

108. The Mexican War. The annexation of Texas to 
the United States led to a war between the United 
States and Mexico. Early in 1846 President Polk 
informed Congress that war existed, and shortly after- 
wards issued a proclamation calling upon the states to 
furnish troops. Arkansas proceeded to raise her quota. 
More men than were needed offered their services, and 
one company after reaching the rendezvous had to 
return home. The people of the state were eager for 
war, and the counties of Lawrence, Independence, 
Washington, Sebastian, Pope, Crawford, Hempstead, 
Sevier, Franklin, Saline, Hot Springs, Phillips, John- 
son, and Pulaski soon had companies formed and ready 
for action. The old hfe and drum beat the alarm and 
the young men responded with alacrity. The several 
companies marched to Washington in Hem.pstead 
county, where they were formed into a regiment with 
Archibald Yell as colonel, John Selden Roane as lieu- 
tenant colonel, and Solon Borland, as major. The 
total number in this regiment, the First Regiment of 
Arkansas Cavalry, was 870. 

In addition to this regiment designed for the seat of 
war in Mexico, a battalion was formed for the defense 
of the frontier against Indian incursions. It was to 
garrison the forts vacated by the United States regu- 
lar troops who moved to the seat of war. William 
Gray commanded this battalion. Its strength con- 
sisted of 478 men. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS, 147 

III addition to these troops, two companies were 
enlisted from Arkansas and attached to the 12th 
Infantry of the regular United States army. One of 
these companies was commanded by Allen Wood of 
Carroll county. 

The First Arkansas regiment under Col, Yell marched 
into Mexico and was attached to the division of Gen. 
John E. Wool.^ This regiment took part in but one 
battle, that of Buena Vista, ^ in which Col. Yell was 
killed. The companies of Albert Pike and William 
Preston were credited with gallant services, as was 
the squadron of Col. May. Capt. Porter and Ensign 
Saunders of Independence county, John Pelham and 
Thomas Rowland of Pulaski, Albert Phipps, Mr. 
Painter, and Mr. Higgins were killed. Saunders 
received seventeen lance wounds in his body. The 
time of enlistment of this regiment expired in July, 
when it was mustered out of service. 



1. While General Wool was encamped at Monclova, he and his staflf were 
invited by the alcade of the village to the banquet. The festivities lasted late, 
and in a drenching rain the general left for the American camp on the other 
side of the river. At the bridge he was stopped by a sentinel, an Arkansan, 
and the countersign was demanded. The general had forgotten it, but in- 
sisted that the sentinel should let him pass, as he was General Wool. The 
Arkansan brought down his musket and said : " I don't care if you are Gen- 
eral Wool, or General Jackson, or even General George Washington, you 
can't pass here without the countersign." The general threatened, but to 
no avail. He had to remain where he was, until the relief guard arrived 
and gave him the countersign. General Wool sent for the soldier next 
morning, thanked him for his faithfulness, and made him his orderly. 

2. General Wilco.x said of the battle of Buena Vista: "All the infantry 
with Taylor were volunteers ; of these but one regiment had ever been under 
fire. Four fifths of the cavalry had never been in battle. The magnificent 
courage displayed by these new troops, the alacrity as well as the vigor with 
which they assailed, or the steadiness with which they resisted greatly 
superior numbers from daylight until five o'clock, has rarely been surpassed, 
if equaled, by the disciplined veterans of modern armies. It is a battle over 
which the people of the United States fiave ever felt a just pride, because it 
was fought by volunteers." 



148 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

Before this battle occurred, soldiers belonging to 
two Arkansas companies and a Kentucky regiment, 
had been taken prisoners and sent to the city of 
Mexico. Among these were Major Borland, Major 
Gaines, and Captain Danley. Finding an opportunity, 
they escaped and attached themselves to Gen. Scott's 
army, in time to take part in the battles around 
the city. Captain Danley was severely wounded 
in one of these battles and remained a cripple for 
life. 

Besides these men the two companies belonging to 
the i2th Infantry took part in the southern cam- 
paign. At Contreras and Churubusco the company 
commanded by Captain Allen Wood was honorably 
mentioned by the commanding general, Winfield Scott, 
who presented it with a map of the battlefields in and 
around Mexico. Captain Wood was breveted major 
by the President of the United States. Governor 
Roane afterwards presented these maps, accompanied 
by the muster rolls of the company, to the legislature 
of Arkansas. The belt of Col. Yell was also accorded 
a position of honor, and is now inclosed in a glass case 
in the office of the secretary of state. Many men who 
were afterwards distinguished in Arkansas affairs began 
their public career in the Mexican War.^ 

I. Some of these men were Gen. T. J. Churchill, Gen. James F. Fagan, 
Albert Pike, C. C. Danley, John D. Adams, John C. Peay, Alden M. Wood- 
ruff, A. M. Crouch, Dr. Craven, Dr. Peyton, William Queensberry, Josiah 
Houston, Walter F. Scott, James F. Moffat, H. W. Taylor, Addison Coch- 
ran, J L. Shinn, G. W. Patrick, John F. Hill, Franklin W. Desha, Jesse and 
Richa.d Searcy, Robert F. Finley, Hamilton Reynolds, George S. Morrison, 
J. J. Dillard, George S. Foster, Leonard Wilhoff, Edward Hunter, J. S. 
DoUarhide, Roger McCann, George C. Stewart, William G. Preston, Thomas 
G. and John W. Tomberlain, John R. i3e Graffenreed, Richmond B. Sedgley, 
William K. English, Thomas A. Reeden, W. A. and J. C. Douglass, John 
Preston, Lewis S. Poe, William Gray, Caleb Davis, Oliver Basham. 



fl I STORY or ARAUXSAS. 149 

109. The Treaty of Guadeloupe-Hidalgo. But Arkan- 
sas was signally honored by the appointment of Am- 
brose H. Sevier as one of the commissioners on the 
part of the United States to negotiate the amended 
treaty of peace between the countries. He and Judge 
Clifford repaired to Queretaro and secured the ratifica- 
tion of a treaty by which Mexico ceded to the United 
States the country of New Mexico and California and 
guaranteed the free navigation of the Gulf of California. 
The United States agreed to pay Mexico fifteen million 
dollars, and to discharge a debt of three millions more to 
citizens of the United States. The United States now 
stretched from ocean to ocean, and Arkansas felt justly 
proud of the successful work of her honored son.^ 

no. Legislative Work and the Elections. In 1847, Col. 
Chester Ashley was reelected senator of the United 
States. William Conway was elected judge of the 
supreme court to fill the vacancy caused by the resigna- 
tion of Thomas J. Lacy. Elias N. Conway was elected 
auditor, Samuel Adams, treasurer, and Lambert J. 
Reardon, land agent. At a special election in January, 
1847, Thomas W. Newton, Whig, defeated Albert Rust, 
Democrat, for Congress. Newton was the only Whig 
that ever represented Arkansas in Congress. At the 
regular election in the fall of 1847 Newton was defeated 
by Robert W. Johnson, Democrat. Johnson held the 
position three terms. 



I. The original treaty was made at Guadeloupe-Hidalgo on Feb. 2, 1848, 
by Nicholas Trist on the part of the United States. President Polk submitted 
it to the Senate on Feb. 23, 1848. The Senate adopted it with amendments on 
March 1.0, 184S. Messrs. Sevier and Clifford, as ambassadors of the United 
States, secured the adoption of the amended treaty on May 5, 1848. The 
treaty was the work of Trist ; the protocol to the treaty was the work of 
Sevier and Clifford. 



150 



HISTORY OP ARKANSAS. 



In August, 1848, Thomas S. Drew was reelected gov- 
ernor without opposition. When the legislature con- 
vened that year it found two vacancies to fill in the 
Senate of the United States. A. H. Sevier had 
resigned to accept the commissionership of the United 
States to negotiate peace between the government 

and Mexico. Chester 
Ashley, after having 
served one year of his 
second term, had died. 
The legislature elected 
Major Solon Borland to 
fill the first unexpired 
term, and Judge W. K. 
Sebastian the other. In 
the presidential elections 
Arkansas voted for the 
Democratic candidates, 
Cass and Butler. Taylor 
and Fillmore, however, 
were elected. On Dec. 
31, 1848, Ambrose H. 
Sevier died at his plantation in Chicot county. In the 
death of Ashley and Sevier the state lost two of her 
most distinguished men. This legislature also elected 
David Walker, of Fayetteville, associate justice of the 
supreme court. 

III. Special Election. In January, 1849, Governor 
Drew resigned his office and was succeeded by Richard 
C. Byrd, who as president of the senate, became gov- 
ernor. Upon entering the office he issued a proclama- 
tion ordering a special election for governor to be held 
in April. John Selden Roane was elected. 




THOMAS S. DREW. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



151 



112. New Counties. During Drew's administration 
three new counties were formed: 



County. 


Date of 
formation. 


Named after. 


County seats. 


1. Prairie 


Nov. 25, 1846 

Nov. 26, 1846 
Nov. 30, 1848 




Brownsville De Vall's 


2. Drew 

3. Ashley 


Gov. Drew ..- 

Chester Ashley 


Bluf?, Des Arc. 
Monticello. 
Hamburg. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

JOHN S. ROANE's^ ADMINISTRATION, 1849-1852. 

113. Elections and Appointments. 116. The Marion County War. 

114. The Census. 117. The Legislature. 

115. The Gold Excitement. 118. The First Postage Stamps. 

119. New Counties. 



113. Elections and Appointments. In November Dan- 
iel Ringo was appointed district judge of the United 
States court to succeed Benjamin Johnson, who had 
died in the preceding month. It was said of Judge 
Johnson: " He died full of judicial honors; beloved 
by all; admired for the purity of his public and private 
character, and for his devotion as a Christian ; respected 
for his unbending integrity and for a heart full of kind- 
ness to all. He was a safe, patient, and able judge, and 

I. John S. Roane was born in Tennessee in 1817. He came to Arkansas 
and settled at Pine Bluff, but atterwards moved to Van Buren. He was 
lieutenant colonel in Yell s regiment during the Mexican War, and gover- 
nor until 1852. In the Civil War he was made a brigadier general. He died 
at Pine Bluff in 1867. 

For list of district attorneys in the United States courts, see Appendix. 



152 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



the judicial distinction wliich he won extended far 
beyond the boundaries of his state." 

In 185 1 the state was divided by Congress into two 
judicial districts, the eastern and the western. Daniel 

Ringo, the newly ap- 
pointed judge, acted as 
judge in both districts 
until I 8 6 I. In 1864 
Henry C. Caldwell was 
appointed to this position 
and presided as judge in 
both districts until 187 1, 
and as judge of the east- 
ern district until 1890, 
when he was appointed 
circuit judge. In 1871 
William Storey was ap- 
pointed judge of the 
western district, and was 
succeeded in 1875 by 
Isaac C. Parker. The candidates for governor in 
August, 1852, were Elias N. Conway, Democrat, and 
Bryan H. Smithson, Whig. Mr. Conway was elected. 

114. The Census. The population of 1850 was 209,897, 
an increase of more than one hundred per cent in ten 
years. Of this number 162,189 were white people, and 
47,708 negroes. 

115. The Gold Excitement. In 1849 the news of the 
discovery of gold in the west reached Arkansas, and 
at once expeditions were organized for California. 
Some went overland; others took ship for New York 
or New Orleans and went around Cape Horn. No 
obstacle was sufficient to deter those who were eager 




DANIEL RINGO. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



153 



for gold. Lawyers, doctors, merchants, farmers, me- 
chanics, hunters, trappers, and preachers were all 
infected with the gold fever and started for the land 
of promised wealth. Some of them found gold, but 
the greater number did 
not. Some came back to 
Arkansas; some remained 
in California, while others 
settled elsewhere in the 
western territories. 

ii6. The Marion County 
War. In the autumn of 
1849 difficulties arose in 
Marion county. There 
were two leading families 
named respectively Ever- 
ett and Tutt. Both had 
great influence and both 
desired to control the 
county offices. The Tutts 
were Whigs, and the Everetts, Democrats. For years 
before this, the followers of each family had quarreled 
on election day. In the " June fight of 1844" rocks, 
hoes, clubs, and fists had been freely used. After this 
whenever the factions met there was trouble. Whisky 
was used freely and served to make matters worse. 
After a while pistols took the place of clubs and the 
rioting became serious. Matters ran on thus until 
nearly every male citizen of the county belonged to 
one or the other of these parties. At one election 
three men were killed and several wounded. At 
another time arrests were made, the guards and prison- 
ers engaged in a fight, and three of the prisoners 




HENRY C. CALDWELL. 



154 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



were killed. The sheriff, assisted by partisans of the 
Everetts, tried to make other arrests but he did not 
succeed. 

A demand was made for the militia and Governor 
Roane sent Gen. Allen Wood with a company of 
militia into Marion county. The Everetts and their 

friends retreated to 
Searcy county, where, 
being followed by Wood, 
they were arrested at 
camp meeting and taken 
to Smithville for safe- 
keeping. Their friends 
attacked the jail and 
turned the prisoners out. 
By this time nearly all 
the Tutts were extermi- 
nated and but few of the 
Everetts were left. 
These, finding the 
meshes of the law clos- 
ing around them, went 
to Texas. Thus ended the only great family feud that 
the state has known — one that cast a gloom over 
Marion county for many years. 

117. The Legislature. The session of 1850 was char- 
acterized by heated discussions of the relations of 
Arkkansas to the Federal Union. The admission 
of California as a free state was considered a vio- 
lation of the rights of the slave states and as reopen- 
ing a question that had been settled. The action 
of Congress was condemned and resolutions were 
discussed which sounded like war. At each succeed- 




HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



155 



ing legislature these discussions became warmer until 
the final rupture came in 1861. 

Massachusetts, not content to administer her own 
laws, undertook to help South Carolina in her admin- 
istration and sent citi- 
zens to Charleston to 
help certain persons re- 
sist the enforcement of 
South Carolina laws. 
This action was resented 
and legislatures through- 
out the South passed 
condemnatory resolu- 
tions. This meddling 
increased; the fugitive 
slave law was annulled 
by northern states and 
every year added some 
new element to the sec- 
tional hate. Arkansas 
from the beginning, while openly expressing the warm- 
est sentiments for the Union, espoused the cause of 
the South, and made its injuries her own. 

118. The First Postage Stamps. During Fillmore's 
administration the first postage stamps were issued by 
the government. The rate of postage was ten cents 
for each letter. The stamps did not stick well, so 
people were obliged to fasten them to the letters with 
wafers, sealing wax, and pins. Gen. Washington's 
picture adorned the stamp and it was no uncommon 
thing to see written above it, " Hold on, Mr. Washing- 
ton " or " Postage paid if Washington sticks." Con- 
gress later adopted a five-cent rate for letters sent 




JOHN SELDEN ROANE. 



156 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



within a radius of 500 miles, though letters sent 
beyond that limit required a payment of ten cents. 
Still later came a five-cent rate for all distances; then 
a three-cent rate and finally the two-cent rate, and 
the penny postal card. The United States now stands 
at the head of all countries in the excellence of its 
postal service. 

119. New Counties. During Governor Roane's admin- 
istration two new counties were formed. 



County. 


Date of 
formation. 


Named after. 


County seat. 


1. Calhoun 

2. Sebastian ... 


Dec. 6, 1850 
Jan. 6, 1851 


John C. Calhoun 

Wm. K. Sebastian.. 


Hampton. 
Greenwich, Ft. Smith. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

ELiAS N. Conway's^ administration, 1852-1860. 

I Population. 

120. Legislation and Elections. [Wealth. 

121. Popular Elections. ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^ Railroads. 

122. Mountain Meadows Massacre. of the State. \ Telegraphs. 

123. The Know Nothings. JSchools. 

124. New Counties. ( Temperance. 

\ Churches. 

120. Legislation and Elections. Elias N. Conway was 
elected governor in 1852 and he was reelected in 1856. 
During the eight years that he served as governor there 
were four sessions of the legislature in the ninth, tenth, 
ele^^'enth, and twelfth districts. 

I Elias N. Conway was born in Tennessee in 1812 and moved to Arkansas 
in 1833. He was auditor of state from 1835 to i84g, and gfovernor from 1852 
to i860. He was a diligent, methodical, and honest officer. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



157 



The Session of 18^2. The term of William K. Sebas- 
tian expiring, he was reelected to the United States 



On the same day George 
chief justice of the su- 



Senate on Nov. 10, 1852. 
C. Watkins was elected 
preme court to succeed 
Thomas Johnson. For 
the state offices the fol- 
lowing selections were 
made: D. B. Greer, sec- 
retary of state; C. C. 
Danley, auditor; John 
H. Crease, treasurer; 
and John T. Trigg, land 
attorney. A homestead 
exemption law was 
passed at this session, 
and as Arkansas was now 
entitled to two Con- 
gressmen the state was 
divided into two dis- 
tricts. 

The Session of 18^4. During the adjournment of the 
legislature Solon Borland had been appointed by the 
President, minister to Nicaragua, and he resigned his 
position as senator. On the 6th of July, 1853, Gover- 
nor Conway appointed Robert W. Johnson to fill the 
vacancy until the meeting of the legislature. When 
this body met it elected Johnson to fill the unexpired 
term. At this session A. S. Huey became auditor; 
he was succeeded by W. R. Miller in 1856, who held 
the position until i860. Geo. C. Watkins having 
resigned as chief justice of the supreme court, Elbert 
H. English was elected to the place, and held it until 




ELIAS NELSON CONWAY, 



158 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS, 



the close of the war.^ In 1874 he was elected by the 
people chief justice of the supreme court and held this 
position until his death in 1884. David Walker having 
resigned the office of associate justice in 1854, was 
succeeded by T. B. Hanley of Helena. 

The Sessioji of 18^8. 
The most important acts 
of this session were the 
incorporation of the 
School for the Blind at 
Arkadelphia; the elec- 
tion of John Quinley to 
succeed John H. Crease 
as treasurer, and of 
Henry M. Rector, asso- 
ciate justice of the su- 
preme court, to succeed 
Felix I. Batson. Henry 
M. Rector resigned in 
1859 and was succeeded 
by Freeman W. Comp- 
In 1850 Rev. James Champlain opened a School 
for the Blind at Clarksville. Lack of support caused 
the school to be abandoned. 

In 1858 Mf. Haucke visited Arkadelphia and suc- 
ceeded in gaining the support of the inhabitants for 
an institution to be called " The Arkansas Institute 
for the Education of the Blind." The institute was 




ELBERT H. ENGLISH. 



ton. 



I. In 1864 F. D. W. Yoriley was chosen chief justice. There were two 
supreme courts at that time, g-rowing- out of the exigencies of the war. The 
Confederate court held its sessions at Washington in Hempstead county, and 
was presided over by Elbert H. English. Its associate judges were Comp- 
ton and Fairchilds. Yonley was succeeded during the year by Elisha Baxter. 
Yonley and Baxter came in under the Murphy Constitution. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 159 

opened in 1859 with Mr. Haucke as superintendent. 
The school was incorporated Mar. 4, 1859. The legis- 
lature failed to make an appropriation for its support, 
but the people of Arkadelphia subscribed $1,500 to 
carry it on. During the summer Otis Patten was made 
superintendent, and reported ten pupils in attendance 
at the end of the year. The legislature of i860 appro- 
priated $200 a year for each pupil and $900 a year for 
teachers. The school prospered until 1863, when the 
war interfered. In 1866 the legislature appropriated 
$8000 for buildings, $200 a year for each pupil, and 
$1200 for the salary of the superintendent. In 1868 
the school was moved to Little Rock, where it has 
always received the most favorable attention of the 
legislature. By an act passed March 15, 1879, its name 
was changed to " The Arkansas School for the Blind." 
In 1885 an appropriation of $60000 was made for addi- 
tional buildings. It is now one of the handsomest 
buildings in the state. 

121. Popular Elections. Under the law of Congress 
giving the state two Congressmen, A. B. Greenwood, 
of Bentonville, was elected from the newly formed first 
district, aad E. A. Warren, of Washington, from the 
second district (1852). In 1854 A. B. Greenwood and 
Albert Rust, of Union county, were elected Congress- 
men. The electoral vote of the state was cast in 1856 for 
Buchanan. The election of Buchanan and Breckinridge 
by the people of the United States did much to allay the 
excitement in the minds of Arkansas people, and caused 
the legislature to adopt resolutions thanking the people 
of the North and the Old Line Whigs of the South for 
supporting the Democratic ticket. 

In 1856 A. B. Greenwood was reelected to Congress; 



i6o HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

Rust was defeated for the nomination in his party 
by E. A. Warren, who was elected. In 1858, T. C. 
Hindman, of Helena, and Albert Rust were returned 
to Congress. 

In the conventions preceding the election of i860 
the Democracy divided and nominated two tickets. 
The first wing of the Democracy nominated Stephen 
A. Douglas of Illinois. The second nominated John 
C. Breckinridge of Kentucky. The Republicans nomi- 
nated Abraham Lincoln of Illinois, and the Union party, 
John Bell of Tennessee. The issue paramount to all 
others was slavery. The Douglas wing said in its 
plaform: " Slavery or no slavery in any territory is 
entirely the concern of the white inhabitants of that ter- 
ritory. Neither Congress nor the people outside of that 
territory have any right to interfere in the matter." 
The Breckinridge platform said: " Congress is bound 
to protect the rights of all the slaveholders in all the 
territories." The Republican party declared: "Con- 
gress is bound to prohibit slavery in, or exclude it from, 
every Federal territory." The Union party were 
pledged to " The Constitution of the country, the 
Union of the states, and the enforcement of the laws." 

The people of Arkansas were aroused as they had 
never been before. Everywhere throughout the state 
the question of union versus secession was vigorously 
debated. The state voted for Breckinridge but the 
countrv at large elected Lincoln, All the states north 
of Mason and Dixon's line voted for Lincoln, thus 
giving the country for the first time in its history a 
President elected exclusively b}" the votes of a single 
section. Douglas received almost as many votes as 
Lincoln and with the vote of Breckinridge would have 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. i6l 

been elected. Thus division destroyed the hopes of 
the Democracy. 

122. Mountain Meadows Massacre. In September, 
1857, a train was held up and one hundred and twenty 
emigrants from Arkansas were murdered by a body of 
Mormons and Indians at Mountain Meadows, Utah 
territory. This was one of the wealthiest emigration 
trains that ever attempted to cross the plains. Seven- 
teen children under nine years of age were saved and 
held in captivity by the Mormons for some time, after 
which they were returned by the authorities of the 
United States to their relatives in Arkansas. The 
party was under the charge of Capt. Fancher of Carroll 
county, and the leader of the Mormons was John D. 
Lee. 

Albert Sydney Johnson said of this party: "This 
company was made up of farmers' families, allied by 
blood and friendship, and far above the average in 
wealth, intelligence, and orderly conduct. They were 
Methodists and held religious services regularly morn- 
ings and evenings." 

One of the survivors. Miss Sarah Dunlap, was for 
years a teacher of the School for the Blind at Little Rock. 

123. The Know-nothings. When the Whig party 
declined in 1852, the Know-nothing party sprang into 
existence. Its principles were (i) opposition to foreign 
immigration, and (2) political hostility to the Roman 
Catholic Church. It held its meetings in secret, and 
through subordinate lodges. In the larger cities its 
growth was rapid. A secret pledge was required, not 
to vote for a Roman Catholic, nor for any other man 
unless he was an American in favor of having Ameri- 
cans rule America. The majority of the order could 

HIST. OF ARK. — H 



l62 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



direct the vote of all the members. At Baltimore, 
Louisville, and other cities a series of disgraceful riots 
occasioned by this society soon destroyed the party. 
In Arkansas, Albert Pike was the chief organizer of 
the secret lodges. Both Whigs and Democrats joined 

the councils, but they 
always professed to know 
nothiiig aboutthem. This 
party elected a majority 
of the members of the 
legislature in 1854, and 
had a full ticket in 1856. 
They nominated James 
J Yell of Pine Bluff, as a 
candidate for governor, 
and Absalom Fowler, for 
Congress. 

Conway was chosen 
governor by a plurality 
of more than 1400 votes 
and Rust was successful 
for Congress. The party never entered Arkansas politics 
again. In answer to articles written by Albert Pike, 
Rev. Andrew Byrne, Bishop of the Catholic Church, in 
a series of letters made an able defense of his Church. 
124. New Counties. Two new counties were formed 
durinof this administration. 




3ISHOP liVKNE. 



County. 


Date of 
formation. 


Named after. 


County seat . 


1. Columbia .. 

2. Craighead .. 


Dec. 17, 1852 
Feb. 19, 1859 




Magnolia. 
Jonesboro. 


Thos. B. Craighead. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 163 

125, Growth of the State, i. Population. The popu- 
lation in i860 was 435,450. In 1835 it had been only 
51,809. 

2. Wealth. The total amount of real and personal 
property as assessed in i860 was ^120,475,236. At the 
first state assessment in 1838 it was $15,564,284. The 
population and wealth had increased in about the same 
ratio Assessed values are always lower than real 
values. The actual wealth of the state was nearly 
$240,000,000. The per capita wealth on the assessed 
valuations was about $252. There were 43,181 polls; 
10,479,231 acres of land belonging to private owners 
valued at $55,738,341; and 17,194 town lots, valued at 
$4,761,000. There w^ere 60,000 slaves valued at 
$45,000,000. In personal property there were nearly 
100,000 horses and mules; 250,000 cattle; 2,779 car- 
riages; 240,000 watches. There were no banks and few 
manufactures. The total money loaned at interest 
was $1,112,040. The goods and merchandise were 
valued at $2,362,527. From this it will be seen that 
the state was in the hands of small farmers and that 
they were rapidly increasing in wealth. They came to 
the state poor, and through its free lands, genial 
climate, and good soil, had gained a good start. The 
era of the farmer was now at its zenith and the pioneer 
was gone. The war destroyed these values and set 
the state back fully forty years. 

3. Railroads. Between 1850 and i860 the first rail- 
roads were chartered. In 1858 the first one was built. 
It was a part of the Little Rock and Memphis Rail- 
road. The first section was built from Memphis to 
Madison; the second section from Little Rock to 
De Vall's Bluff. The middle section from Madison 



l64 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

to De Vall's Bluff was not built until many years later. 
The intermediate distance was covered by stages, or by 
boats down the Mississippi and up the White river to 
De Vall's Bluff. Surveys were made for the Cairo and 
Fulton, now the Iron Mountain Railroad, but no part 
of it was constructed in Arkansas before i860. 

4. Telegraphs. During the year i860 the first tele- 
graph was established in Arkansas, connecting Little 
Rock with Memphis. 

5. Schools. The Arkansas School for the Blind had 
been incorporated and located at Arkadelphia. (After- 
wards in 1868, it was removed to Little Rock.) The 
Deaf Mute School was organized at Clarksville in 1850, 
but for lack of funds was forced to suspend. In i860 
at Ft. Smith it was reorganized upon a better basis, 
but was crushed by the war. Arkansas College, under 
the presidency of Robert Graham, opened its doors 
in 1853, with six professors, and an excellent classical 
course. From 150 to 200 students from ten states 
and territories attended its sessions up to the begin- 
ning of the war, and the United States selected it 
for the education of some of the Indian youths. 
Many men who afterwards were most distinguished in 
Arkansas affairs were graduated from this institution. 
It was the first institution in the state to confer a 
literary degree. 

Fayetteville, then as now, was an educational center. 
The first academy to be incorporated was at Batesville 
in September, 1836; the second was at Fayetteville in 
October, 1836. Ninety-one academies and seminaries 
were incorporated between 1836 and i860. St. John's 
College at Little Rock (1850), Cane Hill College, Cane 
Hill (1852), Soulesburg College, Batesville (1850), Col- 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 165 

lege of St. Andrew, Ft. Smith (1849), and the Far 
West Seminary, Washington county (1844), did much 
to raise the educational standards of the state to a high 
level. The academies at Spring Hill and Washington 
in Hempstead county, Tulip in Dallas county, and 
Rocky Comfort in Sevier county, were noted schools. 
Private schools in charge of eminent teachers were 
opened without charters in many towns. Albert Pike 
began his career on Little Piney, teaching school in a 
log house as early as 1833. Judge Witter opened a 
school in Hempstead county in 1822. ^ (For the public 
schools of this period see paragraph 97.) 

6. Temperance. The three-mile legislation for the 
protection of schools and churches began in Arkansas. 
The first law was passed Dec. 15, 1856, and prohibited 
the sale of liquors in quantities less than forty gallons, 
within three miles of Falcon Male and Female 
Academy (Dallas county). Prior to i860 six other 
laws of this kind were enacted, forming a nucleus for 
the work of later years. 

7. Churches. The membership of all the churches 
kept full pace with the development of the state. 
Churches were built in both town and country. The 
Baptists formed a state association in 1847, and in 
i860 they had twelve associations in different parts of 

I. William M. Harrison, for fourteen years a supreme judge of the state, 
taught school at Columbia, in Chicot county, in 1841. A. W. Lyon, of Nassau 
Hall, N. J., taught a famous school at Batesville (1836). John Anderson, 
graduate of Belfast, had a school at Spring Hill, as celebrated as any academy 
in the West. Senator Garland attended this school. The father of Judge 
S. W. Williams, Rev. Aaron Williams, united teaching with preaching and 
gained distinction at many towns throughout the state. Rev. J. W. Moore 
and Jessie Brown were noted early teachers and scholars. Moses Eastman 
has been teaching in the state nearly sixty years. Mr. Ingham was a noted 
teacher at Searcy. Joseph Desha Pickett, afterwards superintendent of public 
instruction for Kentucky, conducted a school at Little Rock. 



I66 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

the state. The Methodists had two annual confer- 
ences at that date, each consisting of live district 
conferences. Synods of the Presbyterian churches 
were well established. The diocese of Little Rock 
was created in 1843 by the Catholic authorities, and 
Rev. Andrew Byrne was consecrated its first bishop. 
Bishop Leonidas Polk began active work for the Epis- 
copal church in 1840. Prominent rectors were Andrew 
Freeman, Dr. Yearger, and J. T. Wheat. Prominent 
Catholic priests were Father McGowan, Patrick 
O'Reilly, and James Donahoe. Prominent Methodist 
preachers were W. P. Ratcliffe, Andrew Hunter, and 
A. R. Winfield; Presbyterians, J. W. Moore, Thomas 
R. Welch, and Aaron Williams; Baptists, J. B. Hart- 
well, B. F. Cortney, H. H. Bayliss, and Isaac Perkins. 
Other denominations also did good work. The Chris- 
tian church was organized in 1832 at Little Rock, by 
Elder B. F. Hall. Its prominent preachers were John 
T. Johnson, W. W. Stevenson, Thomas Ricketts, and 
Joseph Desha Pickett. 

8. Statesmen. Robert Crittenden, James S. Conway, 
Chester Ashley, and A. H. Sevier were masters of 
statecraft. The last two were distinguished far 
beyond the boundaries of the state. Senator Ashley 
was chairman of the judiciary committee of the Senate 
of the United States, and Senator Sevier chairman of 
the committee on foreign relations. Hon. Alexander 
H. Stephens of Georgia said that in a long acquaint- 
ance with public men at Washington he had known 
few of greater ability than Senators Ashley and Sevier 
from Arkansas. 

9. The State Judiciary. Among the many able and 
faithful servants who were judges of the supreme 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 167 

court before the war, the names of George C. Wat- 
kins, Hubert F. Fairchilds, Elbert H. English, Town- 
send Dickinson, and Freeman W. Compton, stand 
preeminent for legal ability. They have made a distinct 
impression upon the judicial department of the state 
in a body of decisions that reflect credit upon them- 
selves and add dignity and character to the state. 

10. Manufacture of Salt. John Hemphill migrated 
to Clark county in 181 1 and settled at Blakeleytown. 
In 1814 he began the manufacture of salt on the Oua- 
chita at a point where the Indians for centuries had 
prepared this article, and to which De Soto had been 
attracted in his travels. Hemphill was successful and 
continued his enterprise until his death in 1825. His 
descendants carried it on until 185 1, when it was aban- 
doned. 

11. HemphilVs Enterprises. When Hemphill came to 
Arkansas he brought with him two half-brothers, Jacob 
and John Barkman, who, in the language of that day, 
"worked their way." In 1812 Jacob Barkman opened 
up a trade with New Orleans by means of a "pirogue." 
It took six months for his primitive boat to make the 
trip. He took from Blakeleytown bear skins, oil, and 
tallow and brought back sugar, coffee, powder, lead, 
flints, and cotton and woolen cards. His enterprises in 
Clark county developed far more rapidly than the state, 
and resulted in the formation at New Orleans of a large 
commission and warehouse business of which he was 
the leading spirit. The steamboat Dime was soon 
purchased and became a regular packet between 
Arkadelphia and New Orleans. His energy was untir- 
ing and found another expression in the erection of a 
large cotton factory on the Caddo river, the first one 



i68 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

in the state. It cost $30,000, and during an unusual 
rise of the mountain stream it was swept away. Mr. 
Barkman died a wealthy man in 1852. 

12. Cotton and Woolen Goods. In 1857 the Arkansas 
Manufacturing Company put up at Royston, Pike Co., 
a factory for the manufacture of cotton and woolen 
goods. The factory was owned by Major Henry Mer- 
rill of Georgia, and John Matlock of Camden, Ark. 
The superintendent was W. W. Bell. It manufactured 
yarn and thread and was in operation until 1863, when 
it was removed by the Confederate government to 
Texas. After the war it was moved back to Royston. 
In 1868 it passed into the hands of Mr. Young, and 
remained under his superintendency until the death of 
Mr. Matlock, when the machinery was bought by the 
Arkadelphia Manufacturing Company and w^as moved 
to Arkadelphia, where its operations were enlarged. 
Mr. Bell also put up the Camden Woolen Mills at 
Camden, and Womack's Woolen Mill at Nashville. 

13. Mills. Mammoth Spring wells up from a deep 
abyss from an opening forty yards in circumference, 
and forms a lake at its very source, about one sixteenth 
of a mile from north to south and about one fifth of a 
mile from east to west. The spring sends out about 
8,000 barrels of water per minute, and forms the main 
source of Spring river. In the early settlement of the 
country it was the resort of wild beasts and fowls. 
A mill placed there by Mr. Mills, although small and. 
rude, attracted the custom of farmers from a dis- 
tance of thirty miles. So great was the throng 
that many often had to wait several days for their 
turn. Now there is occupying the old stand a mam- 
moth roller mill which has a capacity of 400 barrels of 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



169 



flour every twenty-four hours and runs night and day. 
Near it on another dam stands an immense cotton 
factory, and at points down the stream other large 
roller mills may be found. The power furnished by 
this stream is not half utilized; and when it shall all be 
employed, the hum of woolen, cotton, and flour mills 




FIRST GRIST MILL, MAMMOTH SPRINGS. 



will announce to Arkansas the seat of its greatest 
manufacturing industry. 

14. Manganese. The first manganese ore mined in 
the United States was obtained near Whitfield, Hickman 
county, Tennessee. The next manganese mining on 
record was in the Batesville region of Arkansas, be- 
tween 1850 and 1852, when Col. Matthew Martin shipped 
small quantities of ore from that locality. The indus- 
try was carried on on a small scale for more than thirty 
years. In 1868 the first shipment for use in the manu- 



i^o HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

facture of steel was made by Wm. Einstein. In 1881 
the Ferro-manganese Compan}^ through E. H. Wood- 
ward, an expert at this business, appeared on the 
scene, and Arkansas became an important producer of 
this ore. In 1885 the Keystone Iron and Manganese 
Company began operations and soon became the 
largest producer of manganese in the state. In 1888 
John B. Skinner and Co. began their work. 

15 Whetstones. As early as 181 8 the oil and whet- 
stones of Garland county were floated on boats down 
the Ouachita to New Orleans, where they obtained the 
name "Washita," by which they are known throughout 
the world. The business was enlarged in 1840 by Mr. 
Barnes, and proved profitable. The reputation of the 
stone was good and it soon found a demand in all the 
markets of the world. Mr. Whittington and Mr. 
Sutton have developed large quarries, and ship annu- 
ally several thousand pounds to oil and whetstone 
factories in the east. 

16. Zinc and Iron. Some time in the fifties zinc 
works were established at Calamine, and an iron fur- 
nace near Smithville, in Lawrence county. The iron 
was sold to blacksmiths in Arkansas, Tennessee, 
and Missouri; but the war put an end to both enter- 
prises. 

From all these facts, it is evident that the early life 
of Arkansas was decidedly energetic, progressive, and 
moral. The growth in population and wealth was not 
surpassed by any state. The schools and churches 
show that the people were thoughtful, virtuous, and 
industrious. This ends the glorious era of peace and 
rapid development; from it we turn to the darker 
picture — the terrible era of war. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



[71 



Recapitulation. 

Topics for Study and Review. 

1. Write a list of the sub-heads 
/James S. Conway. \ in each chapter after each 

I Archibald Yell. I name. • 

ISamuel Adams, f 2. Write a connected story 
Governors W^omas S. Drew. ] without subdivisions em- 

fjohn S. Roane. \ bracing the matter of each 

iElias N. Conway. / chapter. 

3. Write a story of the period 
from 1836 to 1S60. 



Prominent men: 

1. Albert Pike. 

2. Chester Ashley. 

3. Robert W. Johnson. 

4. A. H. Sevier. 

5. Grandison S. Royston. 

6. Benjamin Johnson. 

7. Bishop Byrne. 

8. Bishop Freeman. 

9. Andrew Hunter. 
10. Thomas R. Welch. 

Write a biography of each — Tell of other prominent men 

Tell all you know of: — 

1. The Public Land Question. 

2. How Arkansas became a 

State. 



11. David Walker. 

12. Elbert English. 

13. Ebenezer Cummins. 

14. W. S. Fulton. 

15. Solon Borland. 

16. Absalom Fowler. 

17. Robert Crittenden. 
iS. Andrew Scott. 

19. James Woodson Bates. 

20. Jesse Turner. 



3. Of Population Growth. 

4. Of New Counties. 

5. Of Early Colleges. 

6. Of Early Schools. 



7. Of Early Churches. 

8. Of Temperance Agitation. 

9. Of the Mexican War. 

10. Of the State Debt. 

11. Of the State and Real Estate 

Banks. 

12. Of Property Growth. 



Define: — Personnel; administration; preemption; 
land grant; patent; law; statute; convention; election; 
nominee; officer; synod; conference; treaty; colonel; 
major; captain; lieutenant; sheriff; governor; etc. 
What is the difference between a bill and a law? Who 



172 HIS TOR Y OF A RKA NSA S. 

makes a law? What is the difference between real and 
personal property? What is a tax? Who levies the 
taxes? What are they used for? How many legisla- 
tures met before the war? Name some of the laws 
they passed. Read and then explain the constitution 
of 1836. The bill of rights. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

HENRY M. rector's ADMINISTRATION, i860. THE WAR 
OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES. 

126. Rector's Administration. 130. Convention of 1861 : First 

127. Rector's Message. Session. 

128. The Convention Act. 131. Seizure of Arsenals. 

129. The Verdict of the People. 132. Convention of 1861 : Second 

Session. 

126. Rector's Administration, During the exciting 
canvass for the presidency in i860, the regular state 
election occurred in Arkansas. The Democratic con- 
vention nominated Richard H. Johnson, and Henry 
M. Rector announced himself an independent candi- 
date. Both candidates canvassed the state, and Rec- 
tor^ was elected. He was inaugurated in November, 
i860. W. K. Sebastian and Charles B. Mitchell were 
elected United States senators. They served as 
senators until after the beginning of the war; then 
Sebastian was expelled for sympathizing with the 

I. Henry Massie Rector was born in St. Louis in 1816. He came to Arkan- 
saw in 1835 and was United States marshal from 1843 to 1845. He was elected 
judge of the supreme court by the legislature in 1859, which position he 
resigned to run for governor. His speeches during the canvass were temper- 
ate, and his course afterwards prudent and firm. He is still alive — an honored 
citizen of Little Rock. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



173 



South, and Mitchell refused to serve after the secession 
of Arkansas from the Union. Both seats remained 
vacant until after the close of the war. In the Con- 
gressional elections Thomas C. Hindman was elected 
from the first and E. W. Gantt from the second dis- 
trict, but they were not permitted to take their seats. 
127. Rector's Message Governor Rector's message 
to the legislature was an able document. It recited 
that eleven of the Northern states had by solemn 
enactment nullified the 
laws of the United States 
by prohibiting their citi- 
zens from aiding in the 
execution of the Fugitive 
Slave Laws, and that 
these acts absolved 
every other state from 
its Federal allegiance. 
In view of the revolution- 
ary acts of these states, 
he advised the legislature 
to await the action of 
other Southern states 
and of the United States ; 
if any Southern state 

should declare its independence, prompted by 
revolutionary acts of the Northern states, and 
general government should thereupon adopt coercive 
measures, he urged that Arkansas should not withhold 
from said state its active sympathy and support. He 
further declared that should such an exigency arise, 
the legislature ought to refer the matter to the people 
for their advice. 




HENRY M. RECTOR. 



the 
the 



1 74 HIS TOR Y OF A RKA NSA S. 

128. The Convention Act. Acting upon the advice of 
the governor, -the legislature proceeded to discuss the 
state of the Union, and on Jan. 14, 1861, passed the 
Convention Act, by which the question of "Conven- 
tion" or "No Convention" was to be submitted to the 
people on the i8th day of February, 1861, The act so 
to be submitted really created a new legislature to 
act upon "the condition of political affairs" and "to 
determine what course the state of Arkansas shall 
take in the present political crisis." Each county was 
entitled to as many delegates as it had members in the 
lower house of the General Assembly, and was to 
select its delegates at the same election. 

129. The Verdict of the People. Pursuant to this act, 
an election was held in every county of the state on 
the 18th day of February, 1861. The excitement was 
intense. South Carolina had seceded Dec. 20, i860; 
Georgia, January 19, 1861; Mississippi, January 9; 
Texas, Feb. i; Louisiana, Jan. 26; Florida, Jan. 10, 
and Alabama, Jan. 11. While all these vigorous pro- 
tests against Northern nullification were being made 
in these states, Virginia, the mother of common- 
wealths, attempted to bring about conciliation. It 
was thought that the Northern states could be induced 
to repeal their nullifying laws, and to honor the deci- 
sions of the supreme court, thus removing the cause of 
hostility from the Southern seceding states. 

A Peace Congress was called by Virginia to meet in 
Washington on February 4, 1861. Twenty-one states 
sent delegates. It was an able body of men from all 
parts of the Union. The venerable John Tyler was 
chosen president. Salmon P. Chase, as a delegate 
from the state of Ohio, destroyed all hopes of recon- 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 175 

ciliation by stating with candor, but with emphasis, 
that the Northern states never would obey the law 
which required the return of fugitive slaves. He 
maintained that changed conditions had made it 
impossible for these states to obey these laws. 

The South was thus brought face to face with a seri- 
ous question. Does a Union of states still exist when 
eleven of them nullify the laws of Congress and refuse 
to submit to the decrees of the supreme court? They 
were Union lovers, but they could not remain parties to 
a compact which eleven states openly and by solemn 
legislative acts abrogated. The evil of disunion began 
not with the secessionists but with the nuUifiers who, 
through conscientious scruples, placed nullification 
above union. And as it was a question of conscience 
with the North, forming as it w^ere a higher law than 
the Constitution, so it came to be a similar question 
with the South, The South asserted that it could not 
conscientiously give its allegiance to a government 
controlled by a party that claimed the right to set 
aside the Cc)nstitution and laws of the nation to satisfy 
a higher law of conscience. Thus the precedent estab- 
lished by the Northern states was followed by the 
South, and secession was the outcome. The love for 
the Union was as genuine and widespread in the South 
as it was in the North; but it was for a Union under 
the Constitution as the supreme law over the whole 
country, and not for a Union under the so-called 
" higher law of conscience." 

On the day that the Peace Congress assembled, the 
seven seceding states, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, 
Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas, 
through their delegates, met at Montgomery, Ala- 



176 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

bama. This body of men was in earnest. Its mem- 
bers were among the most prominent men in the 
country. A Constitution for the provisional govern- 
ment of the Confederate States was framed, modeled 
after the Constitution of the United States. Jefferson 
Davis of Mississippi was elected president, and Alex- 
ander H. Stephens of Georgia, vice-president. 

Meanwhile the people of Arkansas were deliberating 
upon the proper course to take in this impending 
struggle. One by one they saw the states of the 
South secede; they saw the failure of the Peace Con- 
gress and heard the ominous language of Mr. Chase. 
When the i8th day of February arrived, the people 
voted for a convention by a majority of 11,586 votes; 
the minority vote was. cast by two classes of people: 

(i) By a small number, who believed in the Union 
right or wrong. 

(2) By a larger number, who believed that a conven- 
tion was unnecessary, since the seceding states would 
never be coerced, and who thought it unwise to dis- 
cuss the problem before it arose. 

130, The Convention of 1861: First Session. In accord- 
ance with the proclamation of the governor, the dele- 
gates met at the statehouse in Little Rock on March 
4, 1861, and elected David Walker of Washington 
county president, and E. C. Boudinot, secretary. 
Seventy-six delegates, representing every county in 
the state attended the convention. The sentiment of 
the convention was in favor of remaining in the 
Union, but decidedly opposed to any coercion of the 
seceding states. Nor was it believed by that body 
that coercion would be resorted to. The convention, 
resisting the appeals of South Carolina and Georgia, 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 177 

(who had sent commissioners to urge the secession of 
Arkansas), and Hkewise the appeal of the Confederate 
States, and beheving that matters would be settled 
amicably, passed an ordinance providmg for an election 
on Aug. 5, 1861, to decide whether the people of the 
state should "cooperate" with the general govern- 
ment, or "secede" from it. A resolution was also 
adopted stating that any attempt to coerce a seceding 
state by armed force would be resisted by Arkansas. 
The convention then adjourned until the 19th of 
August, not, however, before passing an ordinance 
authorizing the president to call the convention ^'^\% 
together before that time in case of emergency. 

131. Seizure of the Arsenal at Little Rock and Ft, Smith. 
In November, 1 86 r^-'tHe' garrison at Little Rock was 
reenforced by sixty men under command of Capt. 
James Totten. The arsenal at this time contained 
many arms and war supplies belonging to the state, 
and the people began to clamor for its evacuation by 
the United States troops. Helena, in a mass meeting 
of its citizens, requested Governor Rector to take pos- 
session of the property. It was rumored at the 
beginning of the year that United States troops were 
on their way to reenforce the garrison, and citizens 
from all parts of the state urged the seizure of the 
arsenal. 

On Feb. 4, volunteer troops from Phillips, Jeffer- 
son, Prairie, White, Monroe, Hot Spring, and other 
counties, about 800 strong, arrived at Little Rock with 
the avowed purpose of seizing the arsenal. The citi- 
zens of Little Rock, becoming alarmed, requested the 
governor to demand the surrender of the post. This 
was done, and Capt. Totten, the commander of the 

HIST. OF ARK. — 12 



178 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



post, concluded to deliver it to the governor rather 
than to engage in hostilities. The troops departed 
with all the honors due them as officers and soldiers, 
on Feb. 8, 1861, and the state authorities took pos- 
session on the same day. 
Capt. Otley, with a de- 
tachment of Phillips 
county Guards, was 
placed in charge. The 
citizens of Little Rock 
presented Capt. Totten 
with a sword at his de- 
parture. One of the 
companies that marched 
to Little Rock was in 
charge of Capt. Patrick 
R. Cleburne, then un- 
known to fame, but who, 
before his death, earned 
for himself the title of 
"the Stonewall Jackson of the West." By direction 
of Go 7. Rector, Fort Smith was seized and occupied 
by Col. Solon Borland (April 19); it was placed in 
charge of General N. B. Burrow, and held subject to 
the authority of the state. 

132. The Convention of 1861: Second Session, The 
hopes of our citizens were not realized. Coercion 
was determined upon by Congress, and President 
Lincoln issued a proclamation calling for 75,000 men 
to put down the rebellion. This meant war. Presi- 
dent Buchanan had said in a message to Congress that 
no power had been delegated to Congress to coerce a 
state into submission or to declare war with it. And 




GEN. PATRICK R. CLEBURNE. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 179 

while a large part of the people of Arkansas were in 
favor of remaining in the Union, they were also 
opposed to coercing those states that chose to with- 
draw. Lincoln's proclamation was looked- upon by a 
large majority of Arkansas men as an unconstitutional 
use of power; and influenced many Union men to 
support the secession party. Governor Rector, in 
answer to the call of Simon Cameron, secretary of war, 
for 780 men to assist in putting down the rebellion, 
said: "In answer to your demand for troops from 
Arkansas to subjugate the Southern states, I have to 
say that none will be furnished. The demand is only 
adding insult to injury." 

David Walker, president of the convention, issued 
a proclamation on April 20, calling the convention to 
meet at Little Rock on May 6. The convention met 
and passed the following ordinances: 

I. The Ordinance of Secession, dissolving the union 
between the state of Arkansas and the other states, 
passed May 6, 1861, by a vote of 69 in the affirmative 
and one in the negative.^ 

"Whereas, in addition to the well-founded causes of complaint 
set forth by this convention in resolutions adopted on the nth 
of March, A. D. 1861, against the sectional party now in power 
in Washington city, headed by Abraham Lincoln, he has, in the 
face of resolutions passed by this convention, pledging the state 
of Arkansas to resist to the last extremity any attempt on the 
part of such power to coerce any state that seceded from the old 
Union, proclaimed to the world that war should be waged 
against such states until they should be compelled to submit to 
their rule, and large forces to accomplish this have by this same 
power been called out, and are now being 'marshaled to carry 

I. Isaac Murphy, of Madison county, voted "no." He had introduced a 
resolution in the morning putting the whole population on a war footing in 
view of the dangers surrounding the South. 



i8o HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

out this inhuman design; and to longer submit to such rule, or 
remain in the old union of the United States, would be disgrace- 
ful and ruinous to the state of Arkansas: Therefore we, the 
people of Arkansas, ordain, that the 'Ordinance and Acceptance 
of Compact,' passed by the General Assembly of the state of 
Arkansas on the i8th day of October, A. D. 1836 [here follows a 
minute description of this compact and other acts], and all other 
laws, and every other law and ordinance, whereby the state of 
Arkansas became a member of the Federal Union, be, and the 
same are hereby in all respects and for every other purpose 
herewith consistent, repealed, abrogated, and fully set aside; 
and that the union now subsisting between the state of Arkan- 
sas and the other states, under the name of ' The United 
States of America,' is hereby forever dissolved." Then follows 
the usual declaration resuming all rights delegated to the Fed- 
eral government, absolving the citizens from allegiance to that 
government, and pronouncing Arkansas a " free and independ- 
ent state." 

2. The ordinance adopting the Constitution of the 
Confederate States of America, passed May 10, and 
June I, 1861. 

3. An ordinance adopting a constitution for the 
state of Arkansas, passed June i, 1861. This con- 
stitution is known as the constitution of 1861. 

The calUng of the roll for votes to sever the con- 
nection between Arkansas and the United States was 
a solemn proceeding. Although every one present 
was intensely excited, a profound silence prevailed. 
The secessionists were all known and the recording of 
their votes produced no applause, but when well- 
known Union men, one after another, voted in the 
affirmative and declared their sympathy to be with the 
South, the crowd could not restrain its applause. 

When the strain was over and it was announced that 
the ordinance had been passed by the decisive vote of 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. i8i 

69 to I, the walls of the house reechoed the applause. 
Thus Arkansas deliberately chose that war should be 
declared with her, rather than that she should declare 
war with the other Southern states. The choice had 
to be made, and it was a choice dictated by Southern 
thought, Southern associations and Southern honor. 
The decision so made brought defeat; but the alter- 
native would have brought disgrace. 



CHAPTER XX. 

HENRY M. rector's ADMINISTRATION {CoJlHuued^^ 
1860-1862. 

133. Domestic Events. 135. The War in Arkansas. 

134. Preparations for War. 136. Elections. 

133. Domestic Events. Arms that had been purchased 
by the preceding legislature having been seized at Cin- 
cinnati in April, Gen. James Yell, in retaliation, seized 
two steamboats on the Mississippi, the Ma?'s and the 
Ohio Belle. Information reached the governor on 
April 2 that a force was gathering at Cairo to enter 
Arkansas and Tennessee; he thereupon placed a force 
of men under Gen. James Yell at Mound City to 
cooperate with a like force appointed by Governor 
Harris of Tennessee. The convention appointed two 
brigadier generals, N. B. Pearce and James Yell. 

Meanwhile a regiment of troops had gathered at 
Camp Rector, composed of Yell Rifles ^ under Capt. 
Cleburne; Jefferson Guards under Capt. Carlton; Har- 
ris Guards under Capt. Harris; Rector Guards, Capt. 

I. This company contained four men who afterwards became generals : 
P. R. Cleburne, Thomas C. Hindman, J. C. Tappan, and Lucius E. Polk. 



l82 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



Glenn; Hindman Guards, Capt. Blackburn; Phillips 
Guards, Capt. Otey, and Helena Artillery, Capt. Clark- 
son. On May 6 they asked the convention for per- 
mission to elect their field officers, which was granted. 
This regiment was called the First Arkansas Volun- 
teers, and elected Patrick R. Cleburne, colonel; J. K. 

Patton, lieutenant col- 
onel, and J. T. Harris, 
major. Thus began the 
military armament of 
Arkansas. 

134. Preparations for 
War. x\rkansas was ad- 
mitted to the Southern 
Confederacy on May 20, 
and Robert W. Johnson, 
A. H. Garland, Hugh F. 
Thomasson, Albert Rust, 
and W. W. Watkins, were 
chosen by the convention 
as delegates to the Con- 
federate Congress then 
in session at Montgomery.^ The convention created a 
military board to supervise the military defense of the 
state (May 15), composed of the governor, H. M. Rector, 
Benjamin C. Totten, and Christopher C. Danley.^ 




SAMUEL W. WILLIAMS. 



1. At the general election in 1862 the following representatives were elected 
to the Confederate Congress : Thomas B. Hanley, G. D. Royston, A. H. Gar- 
land, and F. I. Batson. In 1864 T. B. Hanley, R. K. Garland, F. I. Batson, 
and A. H. Garland were elected. In 1862 Charles B. Mitchell and Robert W. 
Johnson wer.e elected to the Confederate Senate. C. B. Mitchell died on 
Sept. 18, 1864, and A. H. Garland was elected to succeed him. D. H. Carroll 
was then elected to the House of Representatives to succeed Mr. Garland. 

2. Samuel W. Williams succeeded C. C. Danley, and L. D. Hill suc- 
ceeded Mr. Williams. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



183 



This board issued a call for 10,000 volunteers in 
addition to those already in the field. But there was 
little need for the call. Men promptly fell into line 
from all parts of the state, and offered themselves to 
the state or to the Con- 
federate government. 
Thirty thousand troops 
were in line from Arkan- 
sas before the end of the 
year. 

In addition to the work 
of the military board. 
President Davis author- 
ized T. C. Hindman, 
James B. Johnson, and 
Thompson B. Flournoy 
to raise regiments for 
direct use in the Con- 
federacy. These regi- gen. t. c. hindman. 
ments were called Confederate to distinguish them 
from the others raised by the military board. 

135. The War in Arkansas. Regiments began form- 
ing at once. Some presented themselves as state 
troops to the military board; others enlisted directly 
into the Confederate service and were transferred east 
of the Mississippi. The board numbered the regi- 
ments; Gen. Pearce also numbered a few; and the 
Confederate authorities numbered others. This caused 
a confusion of numbers, and two or three regiments 
carried duplicate numbers throughout the war. 

Troops gathered at Arkadelphia. Benton, Pine Bluff, 
Springfield, and Yellville. The soldiers of Helena and 
Jacksonport armed themselves with guns and were 




i84 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



Pearce, and Mcintosh 



mustered into the state service. Some then proceeded 
to northwestern Arkansas, where they were formed into 
an army under command of Generals McCulloch, 

Others moved on to Poca- 
hontas and Pitman's 
Ferry under the com- 
mand of Gen. Hardee. 

On July 15 the military 
board made a contract 
with the Confederate 
authorities, through 
Gen. Hardee, by which 
such state troops as 
agreed to the change 
were transferred to the 
Confederate service. 
Many of the troops con- 
sented to enter the Con- 
federate service; others 
returned to their homes and reenlisted in other com- 
mands. Gen. Van Dorn w^as placed in command of the 
Arkansas department, and began to organize his troops 
in the northwest. 

A battle took place at Pea Ridge, ^ or Elkhorn, on 
March 7, 1862, in w^hich the Arkansas troops fought 
with great bravery. Gen. Van Dorn said in his 
report that "the enemy's position was a strong one, 
but we drove him from it and slept on our arms on the 

I. Van Dorn had 15,000 men ; Curtis 20,000. On March 6 Price and McCul- 
loch attacked Sigel at Bentonville and forced him to retreat to Curtis' main 
wing. On the 7th, at Pea Ridge, the battle raged in all its fury. "Van Dorn 
and Price were opposed to Curtis ; McCulloch and Mcintosh to Sigel. The 
battle has been called the Buena Vista of the war. Van Dorn said of his sol- 
diers : " The Old Guard of Napoleon was not composed of better men. I have 
never in battle seen their equals." 




BEN M CULLOCH. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



185 




BATTLE OF PEA RIDGE. 



field of battle." But it cost him two of his best gen- 
erals, McCulloch and Mcintosh. Durincrthe night the 
Federal army retreated 
to a better position and 
Gen. Van Dorn, on the 
next day, retired to the 
south. Gen. Curtis, 
the Union commander, 
remained a few days, and 
then moved to the south- 
east, by way of Bates- 
ville, to Helena. 

Van Dorn began the 
formation of his army 
around Van Buren and 
issued orders for a gen- 
eral rendezvous of the gen. samuel r. curtis. 




i86 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



troops at Du Vall's Bluff. Beauregard at that time 
was pressed by the enemy on the east of the Mississippi, 
and Van Dorn and his command were transferred to 
that region. This left Arkansas unprotected until 
President Davis created a Trans-Mississippi Depart- 
ment, composed of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas 




'^'- 1 'i^'AMbi 



-^ _ ^j«?*^ 



-^^PT' 




KATTLE OF ST. CHAKLES, ON WHITE RIVER. 

troops, and placed Generals Hindman and Holmes in 
command of Arkansas. 

Gen. Hindman moved in the direction of Helena, 
and on June 17 a skirmish followed at St. Charles in 
Arkansas county. Curtis moved towards Little Rock, 
but being met at Cache river (Cotton Plant) by Hind- 
man, turned back. Curtis then entered Helena. 

In the northwest the Federal cavalry captured 
Fayetteville, and Gen. Cabell made an unsuccessful 
attempt to regain it. Then came the skirmishes of 
Pittman's Ferry and Cane Hill, and the burning of 
the Confederate arsenal and stores at Yellville. Gen. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 187 

Hindman took position at Cane Hill, where he was 
attacked Nov. 28 by Gen. Blunt and was forced to 
retire. 

The Federal forces, 16,000 strong, then took posi- 
tion at Prairie Grove and Cane Hill. Gen. Hindman 
attacked Gen. Herron at Prairie Grove Dec. 7, and 
although Herron was reenforced during the engage- 
ment by the division of Gen. Blunt, the attack was suc- 
cessful. The victory was barren of results, however, 
for being without supplies, Gen. Hindman retired, and 
the Federals occupied the field from which they had 
been driven. Hindman soon crossed the mountains 
into the region south of the Arkansas river, and the 
Union soldiers advanced to the vicinity of Van Buren. 

136. The Elections. Governor Rector resigned in 
November, 1862, and Thomas Fletcher, president of 
the Senate, became governor. The legislature ordered 
a special election to be held at which Harris Flanagin ^ 
of Arkadelphia was elected governor. 

I. Harris Flanagin was born in New Jersey in 1817 and settled in Clark 
county in 1837, where he engaged in the practice of law. At the date of his 
election he was in the army in command of a Confederate regiment. He 
served as governor during the troubled period, 1862-1864, after which he 
returned to Clark county. He died in 1874. 



i88 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

HARRIS FLANAGIN's ADMINISTRATION, 1862-1865. 

137. New Counties. 141. Events of 1864. 

138. Emancipation of the Slaves. 142. Union Soldiers in Arkansas. 

139. Surrender of Arkansas Post. 143. The Provisional Government. 

140. Battle of Helena and Capture of Little Rock. 

137. New Counties. The following new counties were 
formed in 1862: 



County. 


Date of 
formation. 


Named after. 


County seats. 




Nov. 15, iS52 
Nov. 26, 1862 


Judge Edward Cross. 
Wm. E. Woodruff.... 


j Wittsburg. 

\ Vanndale. 

Augusta. 


2. Woodruff 



138. Emancipation of the Slaves, President Lincoln, 
on Sept. 22, 1862, issued a proclamation as follows: 
"On the first day of 
January, 1863, all per- 
sons held as slaves within 
any state or part of any 
state, the people whereof 
shall then be in rebellion 
against the United 
States, shall be thence- - 
forward and forever < 
free." On the first day 
of January, this procla- 
mation terminated the 
property condition of 
111,259 persons, who be- 
fore that time had been harris flanagin. 




HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



189 



slaves in Arkansas. Their value was more than 
$60,000,000. 

139. Surrender of Arkansas Post. The troops of Gen. 
Curtis remained quietly at Helena, and Gen. Holmes 
made his headquarters at Little Rock. The Union 
forces remained ni- 
active, expecting an- 
other Confederate 
attempt upon Mis- 
souri. A strong fort, 
named after Gen. 
Hindman, had been 
erected at Arkansas 
Post, and Gen. T. J. 
Churchill, with a 
force of 4000 men, 
was placed in com- 
mand. On Jan. 10 
and II this fort was 
attacked by Gen. 
McClernand, with a 
land force of 22,000 
men, and by Admiral ^^^- ™°^'^^ J- Churchill. 

Porter, with eighty-five transports and nine gunboats. 
Gen. Holmes had telegraphed Gen. Churchill, "You will 
hold until help arrives or until all are dead," but never 
expected so large a display of force for so small a fort. 
Churchill and his faithful garrison stood both shot 
and shell for nearly two days, repulsing charge after 
charge of the enemy, when through a mistake of a 
Texas regiment the white flag was run up and the fort 
surrendered. 1 During the month of January Gen. 

I. Gen. Sherman was the originator of the expedition against Arkansas Post. 




I go 



HISTORY OF ARKAXSAS. 



Helena and made 



Gorman moved an expedition up the White river and 
captured Confederate stores and took some prisoners 
at St. Charles, Clarendon, and Des Arc. 

140. Battle of Helena and Capture of Little Rock. 
On July 4 Gen. Holmes moved against Curtis at 
a brilliant but unsuccessful attack. 
On the day of this failure 
the Confederacy suffered 
a greater disaster in the 
fall of Vicksburg. Then 
followed the fall of Port 
Hudson and the cutting 
of the Confederacy in 
two. Gen. Curtis then 
ordered Gen. Steele to 
move against Little 
Rock. 

Gen. Holmes, after his 
failure at Helena, had 
fallen back to Little 
Rock. There he was 
succeeded by Gen. Ster- 
ling Price. In the march of Gen. Steele from Helena 
to Little Rock the following skirmishes occurred: 
Aug. I to 8, cavalry movements from Wittsburg to 
Clarendon; Aug. 14, skirmish at West Pomt; Aug. 16 
at Harrison's Landing; Aug. 17, Grand Prairie; Aug. 
25, Brownsville; Aug. 26, Bayou Meto; Aug. 27, Reed's 






^^M/ii. 


%l 




■^li-L 


^^Jk^ 






'1 V/ 


'<^'P 


.4i'i 


// y 




^ 


' y/y 4 


<; 




GEN. 


STERLING 


PRICE. 



Gen. Grant disapproved it, calling- it a "wild goose chase." Sherman, who 
was present under McClernand, said that the fort was constructed with great 
care. At the burning of Napoleon, on January 17, he said : "We all deserve to 
be killed unless we can produce a discipline wherein such disgraceful acts can- 
not go unpunished No man has labored harder than I have to check this 
spirit in our soldiers.'" 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 191 

Bridge; Aug. 30, Shallow Ford; Sept. 7, Ashley's 
Mills; Sept. 10, Fourche Bayou. 

The Confederates had breastworks on the north side 
of the river; but none on the south. Gen. Steele was 
advancing on both sides, therefore Gen. Price ordered 
a retreat. Little Rock was then occupied by the 
Federal army, Sept. 10, 1863. This placed all 
northern and northeastern Arkansas in the hands of 
the Union forces, and caused Governor Flanagin to 
remove the state government to Washington in Hemp- 
stead county. 

141. Events of 1864. In the spring of this year Gen. 
Steele started south. He was defeated at Poison 
Springs, April 18, and at Mark's Mills, April 25; 
after which he decided to return to Little Rock. On 
his retreat he was attacked at Jenkin's Ferry, April 
30, and after a desperate battle saved his army from 
capture only by a hasty retreat. This was one of the 
most fiercely contested battles of the war. 

In September, 1864, Gen. Price made his famous 
raid through northern Arkansas and southern Mis- 
souri, but without results of permanent value. This 
ended the struggle in Arkansas, although the Southern 
army held the southwestern part of the state until 
after the general surrender of the Confederate forces 
in April, 1865. 

Arkansas soldiers were in every important battle of 
the war. At Manassas, Gettysburg, and in all the 
battles in Virginia, the 3d Arkansas did faithful serv- 
ice. In Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, Kentucky, 
and Virginia, the brigades of Generals E. McNair, D. 
H. Reynolds, John H. Kelley, D. C. Govan, William 
H. Cabell, Seth M. Barton, and Albert Rust, carried 



192 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

the Confederate flag into the thickest of the fight and 
fought for it with all the valor of Americans. 

Army divisions east of the river were given to 
Thomas J. Churchill, Evander McNair, Thomas C. 
Hindman, James F. Fagan, and Patrick R. Cleburne. 

The brigades of Generals N. B. Pearce, N. B. Bur- 
row, James Yell, James Mcintosh, Thomas Dockery, 
Dandridge McRae, Albert Pike, James C. Tappan, 
John Selden Roane, and Marsh Walker, fought 
bravely and earned the gratitude of the people. 

John Edward Murrey, at the age of twenty-two, was 
commissioned brigadier general, but was killed on the 
day of his appointment, at the battle of Atlanta. Cle- 
burne became the idol of the army, and died in a glori- 
ous charge at Franklin. The dead of Arkansas are 
strewn from Gettysburg to New Orleans, and the 
crutches and armless sleeves all over the state speak 
eloquently of the bravery and devotion of the Arkan- 
sas soldiery. 

142. Union Soldiers in Arkansas. After the occupation 
of northern Arkansas by the Union forces in 1862, the 
organization of soldiers into regiments for the North- 
ern armies began, and continued until the end of the 
struggle. There were not many to enlist, but seven 
white regiments and a battery were formed and put 
into active service in Arkansas and elsewhere. In 
addition to these white troops 5526 negroes were 
enlisted, making a total of about 10,000 Union soldiers. 

143. The Provisional Government. After Gen. Steele 
occupied Little Rock, meetings were held at Fort 
Smith, Van Buren, and other places, recommending the 
formation of a new state government, loyal to the 
Union. Under a proclamation of President Lincoln, 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 193 

Dec. 8, 1863, delegates were elected from a great 
number of counties to form a new constitution. 

On the I ith day of January, 1864, these delegates met 
at Little Rock and remodeled the constitution. Isaac 
Murphy was appointed executive provisional governor, 
and the 14th, 15th, and 16th days of March were set 
apart as election days. On these days the people in 
certain counties met and cast their suffrages. There 
were 12,177 votes for ratification of the constitution, 
and 266 against it. The constitution was declared rati- 
fied, and the officers voted for were duly installed. 
On the nth day of April, 1864, the legislature so 
elected assembled, and Isaac Murphy was inaugurated 
governor. The government thus put in operation was 
recognized by the President of the United States as 
the legitimate civil government of the state. The 
Confederate state government continued to exercise 
its functions at Washington, Hempstead county, until 
the 26th day of May, 1865, when it came to an end, 
leaving the Murphy government in full control of the 
state. 

Battles and Skirmishes in Arkansas, 

1862 1862 

Bentonville "l Aberdeen July 9 

Pea Ridge I March 6 Batesville ..July 14 

Leetown [ "' to 8 Fayetteville July 15 

Elkhorn Tavern J Boonesborough 

Salem or Spring Jonesboro Aug. 3 

River March 18 Clarendon Aug. 13 

Talbots Ferry April 19 La Grange Oct. 11 

Searcy Landing ... . May 19 Helena Oct. 11 

Big Indian Creek ... May 27 Marianna Nov. 7 

Smithville June 17 Cane Hill. Nov. 28 

St. Charles June 17 Boston Mountain Nov. 28 

Little Red River. . . June 25 Helena Dec. 5 

Grand Prairie July 6 Prairie Grove Dec. 27 

Bayou Cache July 7 

HIST. OF ARK. — I3 



194 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS, 



Aug. 
to 



Battles and Skirtnishes 
1863 

Arkansas Post Jan. ii 

La Grange May i 

Helena July 

West Point Aug 

Austin ) 

Bayou Meto - . 

Brownsville ) 

Reed's Bridge Aug. 

Terry's Ferry Sept. 

Little Rock Sept. 

Pine Bluff Oct. 

Clarksville Nov. 

Waldron Dec. 

1864 

Martin's Creek". Jan. 17 

Batesville Feb. 19 

Long View &Mt.Elba 

March 26 



Augusta April 

Spoonville. . . April 

Okolona April 

Roseville and Stone's 
Farm April 



171 Arkansas {continued). 

1864 

Moscow April 13 

Camden and Liberty. April 15 

and 16 

Poison Springs April 18 

Cotton Plant April 21 

Mark's Mill April 25 

Princeton April 30 

Jenkin's Ferry April 30 

Kichlands. May 3 

Clarendon June 25 

to 29 

Lake Chicot June 26 

Pine Bluff July 2 

Farris Mill July 14 

Wallace's Ferry July 26 

Massard Prairie July 27 

Ft. Smith Aug. 24 

Jones Hay Station.. .Aug. 24 

Searcy Sept. 6 

1865 

Douglas Landing Feb. 22 

Chalk Bluff May 11 



Men from Arkansas who became Confederate Major Generals. 
Thomas J. Churchill, Evander McNair, 

James F. Fagan, Thomas C. Hindman, 

Patrick Ronayne Cleburne. 

Men who became Brigadier Generals. 



N. B. Pearce, 
N. B. Burrow, 
James Yell, 
James Mcintosh, 
Albert Rust, 
Thomas P. Dockery 
Dandridge McRae, 
Albert Pike, 
James C. Tappan, 
C. W. Pfeiffer, 



John Selden Roane, 
Marsh Walker, 
John Edward Murrey, 
Daniel H. Reynolds, 
John H. Kelley, 
D. C. Govan, 
William L. Cabell, 
Seth M. Barton, 
W. N. R. Beall, 
A. T. Hawthorne, 
Charles W. Adams. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



195 



CHAPTER XXII. 

ISAAC murphy's 1 ADMINISTRATION, 1864-1868. 

144. Tlie Condition of Arkansas. 147. Military Law. 

145. Indian Council. 148. The Constitution of 1868. 

146. The Legislature of 1886. 149. New County. 

150. Kecuperation. 



144, The Condition of Arkansas. There were two 
armies in the state, and military law predominated. 
Two civil governments were in operation. When 
Governor Murphy took 
charge of the new, or the 
loyal government, as it 
was called, there was not 
a dollar in the treasury, 
nor were there any civil -1- 
officers under his con- 
trol. During the first 
year he organized a gov- 
ernment and extended 
his authority over nearly 
two thirds of the state. 




'^■■^^^^^^^i^^^:*^-*""" 



SEAL OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS, 1864. 

President Lincoln had proclaimed that all persons who 
had taken part in the war for the South, with the 
exception of certain officers, should receive a full 



I. Isaac Murphy was born in Pennsylvania in 1S02. He was married in 
Tennessee, but moved to Arkansas in 1834 and began to teach school. His 
labors in the interests of schools in Washington county bore excellent results. 
He studied law and was sent to the legislature in 1848. During the gold ex- 
citement he went to California, but returned in 1854 and settled in Huntsville. 
He was a member of the Senate in 1856; delegate to the convention of 1861; 
member of Gen. Curtis' staff in 1863; he entered Little Rock with Gen. Steele. 
He died in 1882. 



196 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



pardon upon taking the oath of allegiance to the 
United States. Each month the Southerners became 
more convinced of the hopelessness of their cause. 
Governor Murphy was prudent and won friends every- 
day. Soldiers whose time 
had expired repaired to 
their homes and began 
anew their civil work. 
After the surrender in 
1865, they all came home 
and were asked to renew 
their allegiance to the 
general government, and 
to take up their old oc- 
cupations. After they 
had done this they were 
treated as citizens of 
Arkansas, entitled to the 
same privileges as had 
been accorded them be- 
fore the war. 
The assassination of President Lincoln was a severe 
blow to the new order of things. He had always said 
that it was impossible for a state to secede from the 
Union, and had always treated the Southern states as 
members of the Union in rebellion. ^ Their status as 
states in the Union was never questioned, and when 




ISAAC MURPHY. 



I. In his inaugural address President Lincoln said: " It follows from these 
views, that no state, upon its own mere motion, can lawfully get out of the 
Union; that resolves and ordinances to that effect are legally void. I there- 
fore consider that, in view of the Constitution and the laws, the Union is un- 
broken." (Mar. 4, 1861.) Mr. Seward refused to receive commissioners from 
the Confederate government on the ground that he could not admit "that the 
states had in law or in fact withdrawn from the Union." 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 197 

the end approached he said, "Renew your allegiance 
and take up your state work." 

The Murphy government had done this and had 
been recognized by the President. Southern soldiers 
took the oath of allegiance and devoted their energies 
to the new government. After the death of Lincoln, 
the Republican party in Congress took more extreme 
ground, and argued that the states by their attempted 
secession had lost their place as states; that before 
they could be recognized as such again, certain recon- 
struction acts had to be performed, and that in the 
meanwhile they were to be considered as conquered 
provinces under military control. As a consequence, 
the senators and congressmen sent to Congress from 
Arkansas were denied admission, and the citizens were 
disfranchised in the presidential elections. This state 
of affairs continued until 1868. T. D. W. Yonley, 
Charles A. Harper, and Elisha Baxter were elected to 
the supreme court in 1864. During this year Albert 
Pike succeeded Fairchild as associate justice of the 
Confederate supreme court. 

145. Indian Council, The city of Fort Smith was in 
September, 1865, the scene of a general council of 
Indians, representing the Creeks, Choctaws, Chicka- 
saws, Cherokees, Seminoles, Osages, Senecas, Shaw- 
nees, Quapaws, Wyandots, Wichitas, and Comanches, 
and a commission on the part of the United States, 
composed of D. N. Cooley, commissioner of Indian 
affairs, Elijah Sells, superintendent of Indian affairs, 
Thomas Wistar, General W. S. Harney of the United 
States army, and Col. E. S. Parker of General Grant's 
staff. 

The Indians were told that by entering into treaties 



198 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

with the Confederate states, they had forfeited all 
right to protection of the United States, and had sub- 
jected their property to confiscation. They were told 
also that the government had no intention of dealing 
harshly with them. On the second day the commis- 
sion presented treaties for ratification to the several 
tribes. The substance of these treaties was the aboli- 
tion of slavery, the unity of the tribes, and a consoli- 
dated government of all the Indians in the territory. 
On this day John Ross appeared and claimed a place 
as chief of the Cherokees. The southern Cherokees 
objected, and the commission refused to recognize 
him. 

Elias C. Boudinot appeared on the third day and 
agreed on the part of the southern Cherokees to accept 
everything demanded by the government except the 
consolidation of the tribes into one nation and the 
consolidation of negroes into the tribes. After thir- 
teen days' session, the council adjourned on Septem- 
ber 21, to meet at Washington the next year. This 
council brought about the treaty of July 19, 1866, 
which gave the government the Cherokee strip and 
the neutral land. Peace and quietude have prevailed 
among the Indians ever since that time. 

146, The Legislature of 1866. This was a notable 
body.^ It was largely made up of Confederates who 
had laid aside their animosities and had begun anew 

I. A convention was held by leading Democrats and ex-Whigs Dec. 12, 1865, 
at Little Rock, which was addressed by Generals Sherman and Reynolds. Dr. 
Lorenzo Gibson presided. About this time Chief Justice Yonley, a Union man, 
decided that President Lincoln had by his proclamation pardoned a large 
majority of those who had lately engaged in the rebellion in Arkansas and that 
election officers had no right to deny them a vote. Under this decision the 
people vote, freely and elected Democratic county officials and a Democratic 
legislature 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 199 

the work of state development. The elections, which 
had been free from coercion, resulted in a triumph for 
the peace policy of Lincoln. The war was over and 
the South had been defeated. In their old haunts and 
homes Southerners had found peace and refuge. Now 
they were called upon to serve the state in the legisla- 
tive halls and they suppressed all partisan feeling and 
passed many wise laws. The law for which they have 
received most credit was that levying a tax upon the 
property of the state, for public schools. Many laws 
had been passed before to aid the schools, but none of 
them were based upon taxation. To levy and collect 
this tax, to enumerate the children, apportion the 
money, create districts, and arrange for teachers was 
an enormous task, but one well begun. The change 
of the government in 1868 interfered with the full 
execution of the law. The office of superintendent 
of public instruction was created, and F. R. Earle, 
president of Cane Hill college, was elected by the legis- 
lature to that position. He was duly sworn in, but was 
not permitted by the military authorities to exercise the 
duties of the office. 

147. Military Law. In 1867 Congress passed a law 
"for the more efficient government of the rebel 
states." In its preamble, it recited that no legal state 
government existed in certain " rebel " states, among 
which Arkansas was named. It must be remembered 
that the state government of Arkansas was set up in 
compliance with the proclamation of President Lincoln 
and that it had been recognized by him; that it had 
been in operation for nearly three years; and that, 
although its officers were Republicans, it had the con- 
fidence of the masses. The laws were enforced; a 



200 HIS TOR Y OF A RKA NSA S. 

Democratic legislature had met and acquiesced in the 
existing state of affairs; taxes were levied, in currency, 
faithfully collected, and economically expended. 
Peace was abroad in the land and the state was forget- 
ting the horrors of war. Arkansas needed no "recon- 
struction;" but Congress paid no heed to her remon- 
strances. ^ The reconstruction law divided the Southern 
states into five military districts, each one to be gov- 
erned by military law. Arkansas and Mississippi 
composed the 4th military district, under control of 
Gen. E. O. C. Ord. The sub-district, Arkansas, was 
placed under Gen. Alvan C. Gillem, with headquarters 
at Little Rock. The state was now under the control 
of the United States acting through its military arm. 
David Walker and John J. Clendennin, associate jus- 
tices, elected during this year, were succeeded by 
Gen. Smith in 1867.2 

148. The Constitution of 1868. The constitution of 
1864 which had been recognized by Lincoln, was now 
to be replaced by a new one more in accord with 
extreme Republican views. Gen. Ord directed a 
registration to be made, in order to ascertain who were 
legal voters. This registration was made under the 
supervision of soldiers and caused much bitterness of 

1. The Republican convention met in 1867 and adopted a platform in favor 
of enfranchising the negro and of disfranchising the Confederates. 

2. The following letter will show how the civil government was set aside by 
the military authorities: 

" Headquarters 4th Military District, Vicksburg, Miss. | 
Aug. 9, 1867. ' 

Respectfully returned to Mr. F. R. Earle through auditor's office, state of 
Arkansas. This election (state superintendent of public instruction), held 
since the passage of the Military Bill, has not been confirmed at these head- 
quarters and is considered invalid. The services of the office are not needed. 

Maj. Gen. E. O. C. Ord." 
Thus was an act of the legislature overturned by military law. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 2ol 

feeling. Many Democrats refused to register, and 
many more were denied the privilege. The negroes 
registered under fictitious names and in great num- 
bers. After the registration came the election, which 
was also held under a military order. This election 
was to determine whether the people desired a con- 
vention to frame a constitution, " loyal to the Union," 
yet 25,671 registered voters did not attend the election. 
" For convention " was carried by a majority of 14,018 
votes. Delegates were also elected to the convention. 
Many of these were old Arkansas citizens who had 
remained loyal to the government. A large number 
of them, however, were negroes, or men who had been 
in the state but a short time. 

The convention met at Little Rock on Jan. 7, and 
elected Thomas M. Bowen, president, and John G. 
Price, secretary. They then proceeded to frame a 
constitution, which was submitted to the people for 
five days from March 13, 1868. About 20,000 voters 
were not permitted to vote,^ and about 20,000 who 
were entitled to vote did not do so. Gen. Gillem 
announced that in Pulaski county nearly 1,200 more 
votes were cast than were registered, and that in 
Jefferson county 800 were cast that were registered 
elsewhere. The majority for the new constitution 
was declared by Gen. Gillem to be 1316. On the first 
day of April, 1868, this constitution went into effect. 

At the same election the following Republicans 
were elected to ofifice: Powell Clayton, governor; 



I. The Democrats were divided as to the proper course to pursue. Some 
thought the whole matter illegal and refused to register. Others after regis- 
tering failed to vote. There was a widespread conviction that military rule 
was better than reconstruction as it began in Arkansas. 



202 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

James M. Johnson, lieutenant governor; Robert T. J. 
White, secretary of state; James R. Berry, auditor; 
Henry Page, treasurer; John R. Montgomery, attor- 
ney-general; T. D. W. Yonley, chancellor; Thomas 
M. Bowen, Lafayette Gregg, William M. Harrison, 
and John McClure, judges of the supreme court. 
W. W. Wilshire was appointed chief justice. The 
negroes cast their first votes at this election. ^ 

The legislature elected under this constitution met 
at Little Rock on April 2, and remained in session 
until July 23. In the spring of 1868 Congress passed 
an act readmitting Arkansas to the Union, which was 
vetoed by President Johnson. The reason for his 
veto was that Arkansas was already in the Union. 
Congress passed the admission act over his veto on 
June 20, by more than the required two-thirds vote. 
Thus began the reconstruction government in 
Arkansas. 

149. New County. The only county formed during 
the administration of Governor Murphy was Little River 
county, taken from Hempstead and Sevier counties, 
and named after Little river on its northern bound- 
ary. The county seat was at Richmond. 

150. Recuperation. War had nearly exhausted the 
resources of the country. Immigration had ceased 
and agriculture was almost destroyed. During Gov- 
ernor Murphy's administration a change for the better 
began. Farms were repaired and the work of produc- 
tion started anew. Men were everywhere trying to re- 

I. Although the negroes voted at this election, they did not acquire the gen- 
eral right to vote until the Fifteenth Amendment was adopted, Mar. 30, 1870. 
The Thirteenth Amendment was adopted without the vote of Arkansas, but the 
state was required to recognize its validity before it could be readmitted into 
the Union. The Fourteenth Amendment was ratified by the legislature of 1868. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 203 

build what had been lost or destroyed. Governor Mur- 
phy was an honest as well as an economical administra- 
tor. When he assumed the governorship there was not 
a dollar in the treasury; he managed affairs for about 
four years, met every expenditure and left in the 
treasury $203,923.95, besides turning over to his suc- 
cessor $64,875.32 for the school fund and U. S. bonds 
amounting to $50,500. 

This school fund was not apportioned by the new 
state superintendent,^ Mr. Smith, until January 11, 
1870, when it entered into the first state apportion- 
ment of school funds. These figures show not only the 
good management of Governor Murphy, but the won- 
derfully recuperative powers of the state under the 
laws of peace, industry, and good will. The debt of 
the state was $3,163,000, and consisted of the bonds 
which had been loaned to the State and Real Estate 
banks in 1836, and the interest thereon. 

I. Auditor's report, 1870, page 31. Mr. Smith was the first state superintend- 
ent of public instruction who performed the duties of the ofifice. Mr. Earl 
had been elected two years before, but did not serve. 



204 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 
POWELL Clayton's^ administration, 1868-1871. 

151. Martial Law. 155. Railroad Aid and Levee 

152. Representation in Congress. Bonds. 

153. The Aifair of the Hesper. 156. Division of the Republican 

154. Refunding the State Debt. Party. 

157. The Legislature of 1871. 

151. Martial Law. 

The new constitu- 
tion contained many 
excellent features 
which might have 
won the approbation 
of the people had it 
been adopted under 
a different policy. 
The majority of the 
people looked upon 
it, however, as an 
instrument set up by 
force to punish them 
for their attempted 
secession. The legis- 
lature adopted the powell cluton 

I. Powell Clayton was born in Pennsylvania in 1838 and moved to Kansas in 
1855, where he was engaged as a civil engineer. He enlisted in the ist Kansas 
Infantry and was made captain. He was afterwards made colonel of the 5th 
Kansas Cavalry and was at the battle of Helena. For gallantry at Pine Bluff 
and Mt. Elba he was made a brigadier general. After the war he married, and 
settled on a plantation near Pine Bluff. He was elected governor in 1868, and 
United States senator in 1871. In 1877 he moved to Eureka Springs, where he 
has since resided. In 1897 he was appointed minister to Mexico. From the 
formation of the Republican party in Arkansas until to-day he has always been 
its greatest leader. 




HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 205 

fourteenth amendment to the Constitution of the 
United States, giving civil rights to the negroes. It 
also passed a law for the registration of voters, and 
provided for a revision of the Registration Act ; it estab- 
lished the Arkansas Deaf Mute Institute; pledged state 
aid to railroads ; removed the School for the Blind from 
Arkadelphia to Little Rock; established another sys- 
tem of public schools, extending its provisions to the 
colored race; repealed the Amnesty Act passed by the 
legislature of 1866-67; and established the Arkansas 
Industrial University. 

The presidential election aroused considerable ex- 
citement. The registration of voters had gone on 
peaceably throughout the state and had been com- 
pleted. On Oct. 6, 1868, Governor Clayton set aside 
the registration in Ashley, Bradley, Columbia, Hot 
Spring, Lafayette, Mississippi, Woodruff, Sharp, 
Craighead, Sevier, and Green counties, and on Nov. i, 
in Randolph county. These counties were, there- 
fore, not permitted to vote, and 1,400 registered 
voters were disfranchised. The electoral vote as 
counted was cast for Grant and Colfax. The setting 
aside of the registration aroused great indignation. 
Men alleged that they had been unlawfully deprived 
of their rights, and openly condemned the governor. 
On the day after the election, Nov. 4, Governor Clay- 
ton declared martial law in Ashley, Bradley, Columbia, 
Lafayette, Mississippi, Woodruff, Craighead, Green, 
Sevier, and Little River counties. Soon after this, 
Fulton, Drew, Conway, and Crittenden counties were 
placed under martial law. The proclamation recited 
that life and property were insecure in said counties 
and that the civil officers were unable to preserve the 



206 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

peace. The people in these counties denied all of 
these allegations, but could not stay the order. Four 
military districts were established, and placed under 
the command of Generals Robert F. Catterson, Daniel 
P. Upham, Col. Samuel Mallory, and Gen. Thomas J. 
Hunt.^ Lists of "suspected bad characters," con- 
taining the names of many of the best citizens of the 
state, were sent from the governor's headquarters at 
Little Rock to the military commanders, with instruc- 
tions to arrest the men and deal summarily with them. 
Several collisons of citizens with the militia occurred 
and many lives were lost. The conduct of the militia 
was exasperating and in many cases exceeded the 
bounds of their authority. The last of the militia 
disbanded in 1869, and the legislature at once passed 
a law absolving them from all legal accountability for 
for any act done in service. This militia war w^as 
looked upon by good men of all parties as a stain upon 

I. Governor Clayton went into office April i, 1868. On July 21 he divided 
the state into ten military districts, with a mustering and inspecting officer in 
each district. These officers were relieved on Sept. 30, at which time thirty- 
seven companies had been organized with an aggregate number of 1,600 men. 
On Nov. 7 the ten districts were abolished and four districts were substituted. 
Registration was set aside Oct. 6. Martial law was declared Nov. 4. The oper- 
ations of the militia lasted three months. When the forces were mustered out 
the adjutant general was enabled to report that the force employed consisted 
of 214 commissioned officers, 674 non-commissioned officers, and 4,597 men, or 
5,485 in all. On the other side there was nothing but an unorganized popu- 
lace, who claimed a right to vote, and who denied the right of the authorities 
to disfranchise them, either by refusing them registration, or by putting aside 
the registration afterwards. The Republican members of the Congressional 
committee to investigate the troubles in the Southern states said of the regis- 
tration law of 1868: " This law seems to vest large discretion in the registrars 
and thereby opens the door to abuse. The voter is at the mercy of the board 
and without remedy." The Democratic members of the committee, Messrs. 
Blair, Bayard, Cox, Beck, Van Trump, Waddell, Robinson, and Hanks went 
further and said: " Five of the Southern states (naming Arkansas as one) are 
free from even the suspicion of lawlessness on the part of their people, what- 
ever may be the fact as to their rulers." 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 207 

the good name of the state, and made it impossible 
for the people to love the constitution of 1868, or the 
abettors of the militia. The proclamation of martial 
law was not approved by Gen. Smith, the commander 
of the United States troops. 

152. Representation in Congress. Arkansas was not 
represented in the Federal Congress from 1861 to 
1868. In 1864 the first session of the Murphy legisla- 
ture elected Elisha Baxter and William M. Fishback 
senators; but they were not admitted to the Senate. 
W. D. Snow was afterwards elected, but with no bet- 
ter result. The legislature of 1866 elected John T. 
Jones and Andrew Hunter to the same places. Mr. 
Hunter resigned and A. H. Garland was elected in 
his place. None of them were admitted to the 
Senate. William Byers, G. H. Kyle, and J. M. John- 
son were elected to Congress in 1865, but were not 
recognized. 

After the readmission of Arkansas in June, 1868, 
the legislature at once elected Alexander McDonald 
and B. F. Rice to the Senate, and the people Logan 
H. Roots, Thomas Boles, and James Hinds to the 
House of Representatives. The state has been regu- 
larly represented in Congress ever since. 

153, The Affair of the Hesper. In October, 1868, Gov- 
ernor Clayton purchased 4,000 muskets in the North 
and had them shipped to Memphis. Here they were 
taken on board the steamer Hesper for transporta- 
tion to Little Rock. About twenty miles below Mem- 
phis the Hesper was overtaken by the steam tug 
Nettie yones, and boarded by a party of masked men, 
who broke open the boxes and threw all the guns 
into the Mississippi river. The masked men were all 



2o8 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

from the city of Memphis, save one, from Arkansas, 
who recruited the party. 

154. Refunding the Late Debt. During the years 1869 
and 1870 the old bonds of the state, issued to the 
State and Real Estate banks, were taken up, and new 
ones were issued for the amount of the principal and 
interest then due. The amount refunded was about 
$2,520,000. The Holford bonds were also refunded 
at their full face value, making an additional debt of 
$1,787,129. 

155. Railroad Aid and Levee Bonds. In 1868, 1869, and 
1870, aid was extended to the Memphis and Little 
Rock Railway, the Arkansas Central Railway, the 
Little Rock, Pine Bluff, and New Orleans Railway, 
the Little Rock and Ft. Smith Railway, and the Mis- 
sissippi, Ouachita and Red River Railway to help 
them to build and equip their several lines. The total 
amount of bonds issued amounted to $5,350,000. 

In addition to this $1,986,773 were issued to levee 
boards to build levees along the navigable streams at 
points of overflow. This raised the debt of the state 
from $3,163,000 at the close of Murphy's administra- 
tion to $11,643,000. 

In June, 1877, the supreme court of the state 
declared that the railroad aid and levee bonds had 
been illegally issued and were therefore void. At that 
date the principal and interest of these bonds 
amounted to $7,135,298. This decision relieved the 
state from all responsibility upon these illegal bonds. 

156. The Division of the Republican Party. The policy 
of the governor was not approved by a large number 
of his party. Many Republicans opposed his adminis- 
tration and set about forming a coalition to defeat 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 209 

him. The governor thereupon changed his tactics 
and in a public speech declared himself in favor of 
removing all political disabilities growing out of the 
war. The followers of the governor were called 
" Minstrels; " the Republicans who opposed him, 
" Brindles." Each party sought the help of the 
Democrats and the history of the next year was but a 
war of factions. 

157. The Legislature of 1871, The governor recom- 
mended to the legislature that met Jan. 2, 1871, that 
the disabilities of Confederates be removed, and a law 
was passed to that effect. Lieutenant Governor John- 
son resigned and was appointed secretary of state. The 
Senate then elected Ozra A. Hadley president of the 
Senate, and Powell Clayton United States senator. 
On March 17, 1871, Clayton resigned his position as 
governor and O. A. Hadley succeeded him. The 
following changes were made in other offices: 
Thomas M. Bowen, supreme judge, resigned, and 
John E. Bennett was appointed his successor. Chief 
Justice Wilshire resigned, and John McClure was 
appointed to that position, and E. J. Searle to 
the vacancy created by the promotion of Judge 
McClure. 

HIST. OF ARK. — I4 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



OZRA A. HADLEY's^ ADMINISTRATION, 1871-1873. 

158. Elections. 160. New Counties. 

169. The Arkansas Industrial 161. Railroads. 
University. 

158. The Elections. Meanwhile the breach in the 
Republican ranks grew wider each day. Liberty Bart- 

lett and John Edwards 
issued a call for a Liberal- 
Republican convention. 
In May, 1872, the oppo- 
sition organized what 
they called the Reform- 
Republican party (nick- 
named Brindles); They 
held a state convention 
and nominated a full 
state ticket, with Joseph 
Brooks at its head. The 
regular (Minstrel) Re- 
publicans met in July 
and nominated Judge 
Elisha Baxter of Bates- 
ville for governor. 
The Democratic convention met in June and made 
a recommendation to the Democrats of the state to 
support Joseph Brooks. The canvass was very excit- 




OZRA. A. HADLEY. 



I. O. A. Hadley was born in New York in 1826 and moved to Little Rock in 
1865. He was elected to the State senate in 1868 and acted as governor until 
January, 1873. He was afterwards register of the United States Land Office 
at Little Rock, and postmaster of the city. He then moved to Colorado. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 211 

ing. Judge Baxter promised that if elected he would 
administer the government in a fair and impartial 
manner. Mr. Brooks was a good speaker and his 
attacks upon his brother Republicans, or the " State- 
house Ring," as he called them, were vigorous and 
effective. The great body of the Democrats voted 
for Brooks. The election occurred on November 
5, 1872. According to the count, Baxter received 
41,834 votes, and Brooks 38,886. Brooks claimed 
that he had been elected and that the true returns 
had not been declared. Afterwards his claim was 
admitted by his opponents, the Minstrels, but too 
late to be of any political advantage. Baxter was 
inaugurated. 

159. The Arkansas Industrial University. Under the 
act establishing the Arkansas Industrial University on 
the basis of the Land Grant Act of Congress of July, 
1862, many bids were made to secure its location. 
Fayetteville secured it. Washington county subscribed 
$100,000, and Fayetteville, $30,000. This amount was 
invested in bonds, the interest of which enters annually 
into the fund for the maintenance of the institution. 
In the latter part of 1871 the buildings were completed 
and on January 22, 1872, the University began its 
career. Prof. N. P. Gates acted as the first president, 
assisted by a faculty of eight professors. The number 
of students the first year was about 100. Gen. D. H. 
Hill succeeded Prof. Gates and made the institution 
one of the greatest in the Union. Other presidents 
have been Col. Edgar E. H. Murfee, and S. H. 
Buchanan. 

160. New Counties, Six new counties were estab- 
lished during Clayton's and Hadley's administrations. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



County. 


Date of 
Formation. 


Named after. 


County Seat. 


Sharp - 

Grant 

Boone 


July i8, 1868. 
Feb. 4, 1869. 
April 9, 1869. 
Mar. 20, 1871. 

Mar. 22, 1871. 
Mar. 28, 1871. 


Ephraim Sharp. 
Gen. Grant. 
Daniel Boone. 


Evening Shade. 

Sheridan. 

Harrison. 


Logan 

Lincoln 


Benj. Logan. 
Pres. Lincoln. 


Prescott. 
Reveille, Paris. 
Star City, Varner. 



161. Railroads. The Memphis and Little Rock Rail- 
way was partially constructed before the war. The 
St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and Southern Railroad 
finished its line from St. Louis to Little Rock in 1872, 
and before the close of 1874 had extended it to the 
Texas line at Texarkana. The Little Rock and Ft. 
Smith Railroad completed its line to Russellville dur- 
ing the year 1873. This was a great impetus to our 
reviving commerce and started a new era of develop- 
ment for the state. On Feb. 9, 1853, Congress 
granted to Arkansas six sections per mile for a road 
from Cairo to Texas, with branches to Ft. Smith and 
the Mississippi river. On Nov. 26, 1856, the legisla- 
ture of Arkansas passed these lands on the north and 
south line to the Cairo and Fulton Railroad, (St. L. L 
M. & S. Ry.), and they were accepted. Congress after- 
wards increased the grant to ten sections per mile, 
from which 1,936,400 acres have been patented by this 
road. The Cairo and Fulton, the Memphis and Little 
Rock, and the Little Rock and Ft. Smith, are the only 
railroads that have been aided by land grants from 
Congress. Together they have received more than 
2,600,000 acres of land. All political parties, state 
and national, have declared against any further grants 
of land to railroads. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



213 



CHAPTER XXV. 

ELiSHA Baxter's administration, 1873-1874. 



162. Biographical Sketch. 

163. Minstrel Disaffection. 

164. The Brooks Contest. 

165. The Brooks Interregnum. 

166. The Brooks-Baxter War. 



167. The Constitutional Conven- 
tion. 

168. New Counties. 

169. The Constitution of 1874. 

170. The Constitutions of Arkan- 

sas. 

162. Biographical Sketch. Governor Elisha Baxter 
was born in North Carolina in 1827, and came to 
Arkansas in 1852. He began business at Batesville as 
a merchant, but soon 
gave up this business. 
In 1854 and 1856 he 
represented Independ- 
ence county in the legis- 
lature. After the be- 
ginning of the war he 
was offered the colonelcy 
of a Union regiment, but 
declined it, because he 
did not think it right to 
fight against his neigh- 
bors and friends. He 
then started for Missouri 
and was captured by the 
Confederates. Col. 
Robert C. Newton paroled him and sent him to Little 
Rock to report to Gen. Holmes. At Little Rock he 
was imprisoned to await an indictment for treason. 
This he considered a violation of good faith, and he 
made his escape. 




ELISHA BAXTER. 



214 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

He then repaired to Jacksonport and raised a Union 
regiment of, which he was made colonel. Upon the 
organization of the Murphy government he was elected 
judge of the supreme court. Shortly after this he 
was elected senator of the United States, but was never 
permitted to serve. After the war Governor Clayton 
appointed him judge of the third judicial circuit, 
which position he held until he was elected governor. 
He was inaugurated Jan. 6, 1873. His election was a 
triumph for the Minstrels, and his selection as the 
nominee of that wing of the party was in deference to 
the sentiment that the old citizens of the state should 
be given the principal positions. The other officers 
selected at the same time were: V. V. Smith, lieuten- 
ant governor; James M. Johnson, secretary of state; 
Stephen Wheeler, auditor; Henry Page, treasurer; 
T. D. W. Yonley, attorney-general; M. L. Stephenson 
and E. J. Searle, supreme judges. For Congress the 
following selections were made: Asa Hodges, O. P. 
Snyder, W. W. Wilshire, and William J. Hynes. The 
seat of Wilshire was contested by T. M. Gunter, and 
Wilshire was defeated. All the other seats were con- 
tested, but unsuccessfully. 

163. Minstrel Disaffection. Governor Baxter was a 
Republican, but had promised to administer the laws in 
the interest of the people, without regard to party. 
The majority of the Democrats voted against him 
because they were more in sympathy with the principles 
of the other wing of the Republican party. All parties 
were alert and all eyes were on Baxter. 

When the legislature met, the militia were placed 
around the statehouse to repress any effort on the part 
of the Brindlesto take possession and organize another 



HISTORY OF ARK\4NSAS. 215 

government. Passes were given to all members, 
returned by the secretary of state, and the legislative 
body was organized. The vote as returned by the secre- 
tary of state was adopted and Governor Baxter was 
inaugurated. Thus far everything was in favor of the 
Minstrels. They had possession, and were given the 
offices. The Brindles held a convention, protested 
against the " counting in " of Baxter, denounced the 
Democrats who had taken their seats in the " Mins- 
trel " legislature, and went home. 

Then came further disturbance in the shape of a 
railroad bill which created some of the most remark- 
able party changes known in all history. The bill 
proposed to release the railroad companies from their 
indebtedness to the state and to tax the people to pay 
the interest on the railroad bonds. Governor Baxter 
at once opposed the bill. This was the beginning of 
an estrangement between him and his Republican 
friends. In addition to this he appointed Democrats 
as well as Republicans to office. He was remonstrated 
with, but all to no purpose. The Democrats had some 
very strong men in the legislature, and these with the 
votes of the Liberal Republicans made a powerful 
combination. This body passed a law removing dis- 
franchisements, which was proclaimed as ratified on 
April 19, 1873. The Registration Act, and the power 
of the registrar to correct the lists without appeal, still 
remained in force. The term of B. F. Rice, United 
States senator^ expiring, he was succeeded by Stephen 
\V. Dorsey. 

164. The Brooks Contest. Joseph Brooks believed 
that he was elected governor, and contested the elec- 
tion of Mr. Baxter before the legislature, but without 



2i6 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

success. He then tried to gain recognition before the 
United States court, but Judge Caldwell held that his 
court had no jurisdiction over the matter. Next he 
went to the supreme court, but it decided that the 
only power that could lawfully try the case was the leg- 
islature, and this body had already decided against him. 
As a last resort, he went before the Pulaski cir- 
cuit court and filed a suit for the office of governor. 
By the decision of the supreme court his action could 
not be legally maintained by any state court, but 
political sentiments had changed between the dates of 
the two suits. Baxter's acts did not please the Repub- 
licans who had elected him, and there began at once a 
reconciliation between the opposing Republican wings. 

The Baxter Republicans now joined the Brooks 
Republicans and declared that Baxter had not been 
elected. The Democrats who had been opposing 
Baxter, on the other hand, now began to champion his 
cause. It was a day of party revolutions. The result 
was that the Republican judge in the Pulaski superior 
court decided against Baxter. 

165. The Brooks Interregnum. Joseph Brooks at once 
repaired to the governor's office. Baxter refused to 
surrender his office, but was forcibly ejected, and 
Brooks took possession. He was sworn in on April 
15, 1874, and began his career as governor. He held 
the office until May 15, exactly thirty days. 

As Governor Baxter passed out of the statehouse he 
met Judge S. W. Williams, who advised him to go at 
once to St. John's college and put himself under the 
protection of Col. Gray. Governor Baxter drove 
rapidly to the college and entering Col. Gray's office 
said, " Colonel, I have been unjustly ejected from my 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



2T7 



office and I expect to be pursued. If 3^ou recognize 
me as the chief executive of the state, I desire to know 
whether you will protect me?" Col. Gray called 
the sergeant and told him to lead the governor to a 
room upstairs and to furnish him with writing mate- 
rial. He then had the. 
drum sounded, and two 
companies of cadets were 
drawn up in line before 
the college. Col. Gray 
informed them of the 
state of affairs, and said 
he desired to take a vote. 
He asked every cadet 
who was willing to volun- 
teer to defend the gov- 
ernor to step three paces 
to the front. Not a 
boy faltered — even the 
smallest stepped forward. 
Thus did Arkansas boys 
show their pluck and manliness. Forty of the boys 
were selected and the remainder were sent home. 
These boys stood guard around the college all night, 
with loaded guns, stopping all, save those who were 
permitted to enter. In the afternoon of the next day 
they were relieved by the volunteer company of 
Col. Johnson. 

During the trying days just before the ejection of 
Governor Baxter, he was assisted by a corps of 
advisers. Judges Henry C. Caldwell, Elbert H. Eng- 
lish, Freeman W. Compton, U. M. Rose, and Augus- 
tus H. Garland, which for courage, legal ability, and 




2i8 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

character has never been surpassed. These advisers 
called upon him that night at St. John's college, and 
the situation was discussed. Col. Gray mounted his 
horse and hurried to the residence of Col. S. W. Wil- 
liams where a proclamation was rapidly drawn up. 
Returning to the college, Col. Gray called up his wife, 
who proceeded to copy it. Not till after midnight was 
the work finished. The governor, however, hesitated, 
and during the whole forenoon of the next day would 
not publish his decision. He dreaded the charge of 
treason, and was not sure that the authorities at Wash- 
ington would support him. 

While thus undecided, a company of young men from 
the best families of Little Rock, headed by B. S. John- 
son, made a visit to St. John's college. In one of the 
study rooms they held a caucus and appointed John- 
son chairman. He selected a sub-committee composed 
of Col. R. C. Newton, chairman, Sterling Cockrill, 
and Benjamin Johnson to wait upon the governor as 
citizens, assuring him of their support, and advising 
him to declare martial law. The sub-committee 
appointed Col. Newton chairman, and waited upon 
the governor. 

The committee found Mr. Baxter engaged with 
Generals Dockery, Burke, and AIcAnaly, but he re- 
ceived the deputation graciously. Newton told him that 
he and the other young men were there as private citi- 
zens and not as soldiers; that his cause was just and 
that the people would uphold it, if supported by a 
proclamation declaring martial law. The governor 
still hesitated; Newton then said that nothing could 
be done without prompt action; that if the governor 
would act decisively, within thirty minutes the delega- 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



2ig 



tion would become his adherents, and would guarantee 

a strong military force; but that if he delayed, they 

must abandon his cause, and leave him to the danger 

of arrest by the Brooks authorities. 

The young men then departed to make a report to 

their associates; but before long Governor Baxter 

entered the room where 

they were assembled, 

accompanied by Gen. 
Dockery and his friends. 
Dockery had a paper in 
his hand which he pro- 
ceeded to read. It was 
the proclamation declar- 
ing martial law. The die 
was cast, and before mid- 
night a thousand men 
had enlisted in support 
of Baxter's cause. 

i66. The Brooks-Baxter 
War. Governor Baxter 
took up his quarters at 
the Anthony House, and appointed Col. Robert C. 
Newton major general of the militia. The militia 
began pouring in from all sides and Little Rock be- 
came the theater of war. Governor Brooks fortified 
the statehouse and in turn called out the militia. Many 
excellent Democrats responded to his call, because 
they believed that he was honestly elected. Boats and 
trains brought recruits to each party, and nothing but 
the presence of the United States troops prevented 
bloodshed.^ 

I. During the collisions that ensued King White of Pine Bluff gained a 




GEX. ROBERT C. NEWTON. 



220 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

The supreme court in the meantime had delivered a 
second decision which favored Brooks. All these mat- 
ters were telegraphed to Washington and both sides 
awaited the decision of the Federal authorities. 
President Grant finally decided that the legislature of 
Arkansas was the body to decide the question, and 
promised that the protection of the United States 
should be afforded that body while in session. The 
legislature met on May 1 1, 1874, in a rented hall, and de- 
cided that Baxter was the legal governor of Arkansas. 
On May 15, 1874, Grant issued his proclamation in favor 
of Baxter, and commanded Brooks and his follow- 
ers to disperse, which they did. Governor Baxter 
went back to the statehouse and was not troubled 
thereafter. 

167. The Constitutional Convention. Judge Yonley re- 
signed as attorney-general and James L. Witherspoon 
succeeded him. Supreme judges Stephenson and 
Bennett resigned, and T. J. Bearden and Freeman W. 
Compton were their successors. The governor then 
appointed Elbert H. English chief justice in place of 
Judge McClure. Henry Page resigned as treasurer, 
and Robert C. Newton was appointed to that place. 
The only member of Congress that adhered to Bax- 
ter's cause was W. W. Wilshire, and his influence at 
Washington contributed very much to the decision 
arrived at by the President. 

The legislature passed an act calling a constitu- 

splendid reputation as a leader, and was a conspicuous figure on the Baxter 
side. Brooks appointed Gen. Fagan as his commanding general, and Arkan- 
sas men were awed at the sight of two distinguished Confederates, Fagan and 
Newton, opposed to each other in deadly combat. A debt of thanks is due to 
the military ability of both forces and for the prudent management of forces 
which alone could prevent bloodshed. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



221 



tional convention to meet at Little Rock on July 
14, 1874, for the purpose of framing a new constitu- 
tion. The question as to whether or not there should 
be a convention was submitted to the people on 
June 30, and was voted on as follows: 80,259 for 
convention; 8,547 against. So the convention was 
called. 

168. New Counties, The following new counties were 
created during this administration: 



County. 


Date of 
Formation. 


Named after. 


County Seats. 


Clav 


Mar. 24, 1873. 


John M. Clayton. 
Gov. Baxter. 
Augustus H. Garland. 
C. H. Faulkner. 
A Lone Oak. 
Grover Cleveland. 
Senator Howard. 
Gen. Robert Lee. 


Boydsville, Corning. 




Mar. 24, 1873 
Apr. 5, 1873 
Apr. 12, 1873 
Apr. 16, 1873 
Apr. 17, 1873 
Apr. 17, 1873 
Apr. 17, 1873 
Apr. 21, 1873 




Mountain Home. 


Garland 

Faulkner 

Lonoke 

Cleveland 

Howard 

Lee 


Hot Springs. 

Conway. 

Lonoke. 

Rison. 

Center Point. 

Marianna. 


Stone 


Mountain View. 



169. The Constitution of 1874. The convention met 
at Little Rock on July 14, and elected Grandison 
D. Royston of Hempstead president, and Thomas 
W. Newton secretary. A constitution removing all 
disfranchisements and registrations was framed and 
submitted to the people on Oct. 13, 1874. The vote 
stood for ratification, 76,453; against it, 24,807. The 
constitution of 1874, the one now in force, thus became 
the fundamental law of the state. The Democrats 
nominated a full state ticket headed by Augustus H. 
Garland for governor. The Republicans made no 
nominations and the entire Democratic ticket was 
elected. The constitution was officially proclaimed as 
adopted Oct. 30, 1874. 



222 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



170. Constitutions of Arkansas. in Force. 

1. Constitution of 1836. From 1836 to 1861. 

2. Constitution of 1861. From 1861 to 1864. 

3. Constitution of 1864. From 1864 to 1868. 

4. Constitution of 1868. From 1868 to 1874. 

5. Constitution of 1874. From 1874 to the present 

time. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

AUGUSTUS H. garland's ADMINISTRATION, 1874-1876. 

171. The Personnel of the Admin- 175. Condition of the Treasury. 

istration. 176. Superintendent of Public In- 

172. Growth of Popular Elections. struction. 

173. V. V. Smith's Proclamation. 177. The Centennial at Phil- 

174. The Poland Investigating adelphia. 

Committee. 178. The Elections. 




AUGUSTUS H. GARLAND. 



171. The Personnel of the 
Administration. Augustus 
H. Garland was born in 
Tennessee in 1832, and 
came to Arkansas in 
1833. He was a delegate 
to the convention of 
1861, and a representa- 
tive and senator in the 
Confederate Congress. 
He served one term as 
governor, and was 
elected for two succes- 
sive terms to the Senate 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 223 

of the United States. In 1885 he entered President 
Cleveland's cabinet as attorney-general for the United 
States, being the first citizen of the state to hold a 
cabinet position. His fellow state officers in 1874 were 
Benton B. Beavers, secretary of state; William R. 
Miller, auditor; Thomas J. Churchill, treasurer; Simon 
P. Hughes, attorney-general; J. N. Smithee, commis- 
sioner of state lands; Elbert H. English, chief justice, 
and David Walker and William H. Harrison, associate 
justices. The state officers were elected for a term of 
two years, while the supreme judges were elected for 
eight years. The congressmen elected were Lucien C. 
Cause, W. F. Slemons,W.W.Wilshire, and T. M. Gunter. 

172. Growth of Popular Elections. In early terri- 
torial days almost every position was filled by appoint- 
ment. During the administration of John Pope, and 
through his efforts, the number of elective officers 
was enlarged. The constitution of 1836 further 
enlarged the number but the appointees were still 
numerous. The constitution of 1868 reduced the 
elected officers and enlarged the appointing power- 
Under the present constitution almost every office is 
in the hands of the people. Officers have a minimum 
of power, and the people select their school directors, 
justices of the peace, and constables, county and 
municipal officers, and all state officers, — legislative, 
executive, and judicial. 

The taxes that may be levied by the legislature are 
specified and limited in amount. Additional taxation 
must be obtained by a vote of the people. The public 
schools are supported by a general tax of two mills 
upon all the property of the state, which is distributed 
per capita to all the children between certain ages. 



224 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

In addition each district must supplement its fund, 
by self-taxation, to an amount not exceeding five 
mills on the dollar. Thus the people have been gradu- 
ally taking to themselves the decision of all political 
and economical questions, and although they have 
made many mistakes, they have gained the power of 
governing themselves with enterprise, economy, and 
wisdom. 

173. Volney Smith's Proclamation. Governor Garland 
was confronted a few days after his inauguration with a 
proclamation made by Volney V. Smith, lieutenant 
governor under Baxter, declaring himself the succes- 
sor of Baxter and the rightful governor of Arkansas. 
This declaration was based upon the assertion that 
the acts of the people of the state in calling a consti- 
tutional convention and in voting to adopt it and to 
elect officers were null and void. Governor Garland 
ordered the arrest of Smith, and offered a reward for 
his apprehension. President Grant shortly afterwards 
appointed him consul to the Island of St. Thomas, and 
he left Arkansas for that place. 

174. The Poland Investigating Committee. Representa- 
tions were made to President Grant early in 1875 that 
the constitution of 1868 had been overthrown by vio- 
lence and a new one adopted. In a special message 
he reported the matter to Congress. Governor Gar- 
land invited the committee, of which Hon. Luke E. 
Poland w^as chairman, to visit Arkansas and to investi- 
gate the matter from the beginning. The committee 
examined witnesses from both wings of the Repub- 
lican party and from the Democratic party, and on Feb. 
19, 1875, reported to Congress that no interference 
with the existing government in the state of Arkansas 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 225 

by an}^ department of the United States was advisable. 
Congress adopted the report, and Arkansas escaped 
Federal interference with her local affairs. 

175. Condition of the Treasury. Governor Garland 
found the treasury empty. He said: "There was 
not enough money in the treasury to buy sufficient 
wood to kindle a fire in the governor's office." A loan 
of $200,000 was effected, which was repaid in 1876. 
Expenditures were cut down and an effort was made 
to keep them within the limits of the appropriations. 
It was not long before a change for the better 
occurred. Scrip began to rise in value and before 
many years was all redeemed and destroyed. For 
years the government has been run upon a cash basis, 
and the financial condition of the state to-day is of the 
highest character. 

176. Superintendent of Public Instruction. The legisla- 
ture having created the office of superintendent of 
public instruction, G. W. Hill was appointed to fill it 
until the next general election. The officers who have 
been chosen to that position are as follows: 

Thomas Smith, 1868 to 1873; J. C. Corbin, 1873 to 
1874; G. W. Hill, 1875 to 1878; J. L- Denton, 1878 to 
1882; W. E. Thompson, 1882 to 1890; J. H. Shinn, 
1890 to 1894; Junius Jordan, 1894 to the present time. 

177. The Centennial at Philadelphia, On November 
30, 1875, the legislature made an appropriation to erect 
a building at the Centennial Exposition of the United 
States, to be held at Philadelphia in 1876. The build- 
ing was erected and was an honor to the exhibition as 
well as to the exhibitors. Exhibits representing the 
resources and progress of the state were displayed. 
The Bureau of Awards granted awards to Arkansas: 

HIST. OF ARK. — 15 



226 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



(i.) For a large, well-planned state building; (2.) For a 
large, comprehensive, and very attractive exhibit of the 
natural and industrial products of the state, and a very- 
valuable mineral collection; (3.) For a large collection 
of native woods; (4.) For an exhibit of agricultural pro- 
ducts, especially of corn and cotton, the latter equal- 




ARKANSAS STATE BUILDING, PHILADELPHIA, 1876. 

ing any fiber of its kind raised in the United States. 
In addition the state took first and second premiums 
($1,000 and $500) for cotton exhibited in the bale. 
This was the first effort of the commonwealth to dis- 
play her resources and did much to allay sectional feel- 
ing and to reunite the people. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



22;r 



178. The Elections. The Democratic party nominated 
William R. Miller for governor, and the Republican 
party, A. W. Bishop. At the election in September 
(1876), Miller was elected by a majority of 32,217. In 
the presidential election of the same year Arkansas 
voted for Tilden and Hendricks. 



CHAPTER XXVH. 



WILLIAM R. miller's ADMINISTRATION, 1877-1881. 



179. The Personnel. 

180. The Legislature. 

181. Changes in the Supreme 

Court. 

182. The Yellow Fever. 

183. Elections of 1878. 

184. The 22d Legislature. 

179. The Personnel. 

William R. Miller was 
born at Batesville, Inde- 
pendence county, Arkan- 
sas, November 23, 1823, 
and was the first and 
only native of Arkansas 
to hold the office of gov- 
ernor. He lived on a 
farm and attended the 
schools in his neighbor- 
hood until he was of age. 
He was chosen clerk of 
Independence county in 



185. The Fishback Amendment. 

186. The Scott and Union County 

Troubles. 

187. The State Teachers' Associa- 

tion. 

188. The Census. 

189. Official Changes. 




WILLIAM R. MILLEK. 



223 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



1848 and held the position until 1854. In that year Gov- 
ernor Elias N. Conway appointed him auditor of state 
to fill the unexpired term of C. C. Danley. The Know- 
nothings having secured the legislature, Miller was 

defeated for the regular 
term, but was elected 
auditor by the next legis- 
lature in 1856 and held 
the office until the begin- 
ning of 1864, when he 
was succeeded under the 
Murphy government by 
James R. Berry. In 1866 
he was elected to the 
same position, but was 
turned out by the consti- 
tution of 1868, and again 
succeeded by Mr. Berry. 
In 1874 he was again 
elected auditor and held 




JOHN R. EAKIN. 



that position until he was elected governor. 

After his second term in the governor's office, he 
returned to Batesville, where he resided until 1886; then 
he was again called to the office of auditor, in which 
position he died, Nov. 29, 1887. He was one of the 
three great auditors of state — the other two being 
Elias N. Conway and Jcimes R. Berry. Governor 
Miller was inaugurated Jan. 11, 1877. His assistants for 
the first term were B. B. Beavers, secretary of state ; John 
Crawford, auditor; Thomas J. Churchill, treasurer; W. 
F. Henderson, attorney general; J. N. Smithee, com- 
missioner of state lands; Geo. W. Hill, superin- 
tendent of public instruction ; John R. Eakin, 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 229 

chancellor, and Jonathan W. Callaway, chancery 
court clerk. The Congressmen elected for the 
term 1877-79 were L. C. Cause, ist district; W. F. 
Slemons, 2d; Jordan E. Cravens, 3d; and T. M. 
Gunter, 4th. 

180. The Legislature. The twenty-first session of the 
legislature convened at Little Rock on Jan. 8, 1877. 
The body passed many laws concerning the vexed 
questions growing out of the period of disturbance, 
and laws favorable to the development of the country. 
The state and county convict management v/as 
brought to public attention, and was settled by the 
passage of two law^s. Additional buildings were pro- 
vided at the penitentiary, and counties were authorized 
to hire out the county convicts. The hiring of con- 
victs has proved injudicious. Crime must be pun- 
ished, but the system of hiring or leasing not only 
offends the innocent, but subjects the criminal to 
ordeals not contemplated by the law. The legislature 
also made provision for the payment of the interest on 
the public debt. 

The term of Powell Clayton, United States senator, 
being about to expire, Augustus H. Garland was 
elected his successor without opposition. 

181. Changes in the Supreme Court. In March, 1878, 
David Walker resigned his office as supreme judge and 
Jesse Turner of Van Buren was appointed to succeed 
him. 

182. The Yellow Fever. During the autumn of 1878 
there was a yellow fever epidemic in the South, par- 
ticularly in Memphis, Grenada, New Orleans, and 
Shreveport. The position of Arkansas with reference 
to these places gave rise to widespread alarm in the 



230 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

State. A rigid quarantine was established against all 
travelers from the infected districts, and proper pre- 
cautions were taken by the local authorities to make 
the quarantine effective. No one was permitted to 
travel unless he could show a certificate from a physi- 
cian that he had not been in a yellow fever district 
within forty days. Physicians were stationed as guards 
at Hopefield. Carondelet, Poplar Bluff, Texarkana, and 
other places. These precautions saved the state from 
t-he contagion, except for a few cases at Hopefield 
and Argenta. 

Dr. J. C. Easly, a prominent physician of Little 
Rock, who generously volunteered to go to Memphis 
and to lend his aid as physician and nurse to the 
stricken city, was attacked by the fever and died. 
Such disinterested devotion to duty is not only an 
honor to the medical profession but a credit to 
humanity. During the next year the disease broke 
out afresh, but by the heroic efforts of the State Board 
of Health, appointed by Governor Miller, and the 
cheerful cooperation of local boards and citizens, the 
state was again saved from a general infection. 

183. Elections of 1878. The state election in Sep- 
tember, 1878, resulted in the reelection of Governor 
Miller, and many of the other state officers. The new 
officers were as follows: Jacob Frolich, secretary of 
state; D. W. Lear, land commissioner; James L. Den- 
ton, superintendent of public instruction; John R. 
Eakin, supreme judge, and D. W. Carroll, chancellor. 
James L. Denton, although not a teacher, was a man 
of much executive ability and of great eloquence. He 
traveled over the state, urging the people to cooperate 
with the state for better public schools. His efforts 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 231 

were rewarded with a large degree of success. He died 
in office Oct. 11, 1882. The congressmen returned 
were Poindexter Dunn, ist district; W. F. Slemrnons, 
2d; Jordan E. Cravens, 3d; and T. M. Gunter, 4th. 
The war issues were gradually dying out and the elec- 
tions were becoming less bitter and exciting. 

184. The 22nd Legislature. The principal acts of the 
legislature of 1879 were in the nature of strengthening 
our state educational and eleemosynary institutions. 
The Arkansas Industrial University, the School for the 
Blind, and the Deaf Mute Institute were all favored 
with appropriations. 

185. The Fishback Amendment. It was during the 
twenty-second session of the legislature that final dispo- 
sition was made of the Holford bonds. The state prior 
to 1869 had always denied any obligation on account of 
these bonds. Under the Funding Act of 1869 they were 
refunded, however, and new bonds were issued for the 
full amount of principal and accrued interest. William 
M. Fishback, a member of the legislature from Ft. 
Smith, introduced a resolution (1879) providing for 
the submission to the people of an amendment to the 
constitution which should forever prohibit the legisla- 
ture from either levying a tax or making an appropria- 
tion to pay any part of the principal or the interest of 
the Hoiford bonds. The resolution was adopted by 
the legislature, and afterwards by the people at the 
general election in 1884.^ This amendment so adopted 
has ever since been called the Fishback amendment. 
The original bonds, 500 in number, called for $500,000. 
The interest had never been paid. In 1870, 1,268 new 



I. At the general election of 1880 the amendment was defeated, but at the 
election in 1884 it was adopted. 



232 HISTORY OF ARKAXSAS. 

bonds were issued to cover the principal and interest, 
valued at $1,268,000, bearing interest at six per cent 
per annum. The principal and interest at the 
adoption of the amendment amounted to nearly 
$2,000,000. 

Thus did the people summarily dispose of a question 
that had been a source of vexation for more than fifty 
years. The justice of the decision has been questioned 
by many able men, who believe that the state owes 
Mr. Holford the actual amount of money which was 
received by the Real Estate Bank, with interest from 
the date of the original transaction. The state never 
owed the face of the bonds, but she always considered 
that there was an indebtedness in part.^ The adop- 
tion of the amendment subjected the state to the 
charge of repudiation, and the people were divided as 
to the wisdom and honesty of the act. 

186. The Scott and Union County Troubles. During 
the administration of Governor Miller several persons 
were killed in Scott county. The authorities were 
unable to ascertain who were the perpetrators of the 
deeds, but suspicion attached itself to certain men. 
Thus arose in the county two factions known as the 
accusers and the excusers. An armed body took pos- 
session of the town of Waldron, but the sheriff suc- 
ceeded in dispersing them. 

The session of the circuit court was about to open 
and it was feared that the factions would come into col- 
lision. Governor Miller sent a detachment of state 
guards to Waldron and placed them under the control 

I. The various auditors in accounting' always carried the amount agtually 
received by the Real Estate Bank as an indebtedness of the state. The amount 
actually received by the bank on September 7, 1840, was $121,336.50. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 233 

of the sheriff. By these precautions all danger was 
averted. 

Another assassination took place and excitement ran 
high. The sheriff again called for the militia and 
arrests were made and the prisoners protected. The 
cases were all tried before the civil authorities and the 
majesty of the law was sustained. Governor Miller 
was frequently asked to declare martial law, but he 
resolutely refused to do so. The armed support of the 
civil authorities, although slower in results, produced 
an enduring respect for law. 

In March, 1877, some negroes in Union county were 
killed by a body of men who infested the state line 
region at that time. The citizens of the county, white 
and black, held a mass meeting and demanded of the 
governor the right to organize two companies of 
militia, one white and one black, to assist the civil 
authorities. The governor granted the request and 
offered a reward for the murderers. They were 
arrested in Texas and conveyed to Arkansas. On the 
way news was received that an armed body was pre- 
paring to attack the officers and release the prisoners. 
Governor Miller at once directed a detachment of the 
Hempstead county militia to form a guard around the 
officers and to protect them as they crossed the 
country. This again insured the triumph of the civil 
law, and so strengthened it as to make its power 
supreme. 

187, The State Teachers' Association. This association 
was organized in 1869 and has been an influential factor 
in the development of the schools. Professors Right- 
sell, Gates, and Parham were among its first members 
and have always lent their aid to secure its success. 



234 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

It held a notable meeting in June, 1880, at Little 
Rock. Prominent visitors from abroad, among whom 
were W, T. Harris, E. L. Joynes, J. M. Greenwood, 
and Dr. Fitzgerald, gave the matter an unusual 
importance. It is the oldest association, except the 
secret societies, in the state, and bears upon its rolls 
the name of every progressive teacher. 

188. The Census. The census of 1880 showed that 
Arkansas had a population of 802,525, of which 591,531 
were white. This evidenced a remarkable growth, 
and plainly indicated that the state was again on the 
road to prosperity. 

189, Official Changes. The term of Stephen W. Dor- 
sey expiring, a lively contest ensued over his successor. 
The candidates were Robert W. Johnson, J. D. 
Walker, and Governor Elisha Baxter. Mr. Walker 
was successful. At the general election in 1880 the 
Democrats nominated Gen. Thomas J. Churchill for 
governor. The Greenback party nominated W. P. 
Parks of Lafayette county. The Republicans made 
no nomination, but supported the Greenback ticket. 
Out of 115,619 votes Churchill received 84,190 and 
was elected. In the presidential election the vote of 
Arkansas was cast for Hancock and English. The 
following congressmen w^ere elected at the same time: 
Poindexter Dunn, ist district; James K. Jones, 2d; 
Jordan E. Cravens, 3d, and Thomas M. Gunter, 4th. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 235 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 

THOMAS J, Churchill's administration, 1881-1883. 

190. The Personnel. 193. The Medical College. 

191. The Insane Asylum. 194. The Perry County Trouble. 

192. The Pine Bluff Branch Nor- 195. The Elections. 

mal College. 

190, The Personnel. Thomas J. Churchill was born 
in Kentucky in 1824. In 1846 he enlisted in a Ken- 
tucky regiment and took part in the Mexican war. 
In 1848 he removed to Arkansas and settled at Little 
Rock. From 1857 to 186 r he was postmaster of the 
city. When the war broke out between the North and 
the South he raised a regiment of cavalry and was 
made its colonel. His military career was brilliant. 
He was successively made brigadier general, and major 
general in the Confederate army. After the war he 
returned to his plantation and remained there until 
1874, when he was elected treasurer of the state. He 
held this office for six years; then he was elected gov- 
ernor. He served one term in this capacity and then 
returned to private life. His assistant state officers 
were: Jacob Frolich, secretary of state; John Craw- 
ford, auditor; William E. Woodruff, Jr., treasurer; C. B. 
Moore, attorney-general; D. W. Lear, land commis- 
sioner; James L. Denton, superintendent of public 
instruction; and Elbert H. English, chief justice. 
Governor Churchill was inaugurated on Jan. 13, 1881. 

191. The Insane Asylum. One of the most important 
acts of the twenty-third session of the legislature was 
an appropriation of §150,000 to build an insane 
asylum. Grounds were purchased on the hills west of 



236 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



the city of Little Rock and the work of construction was 
begun. The building erected is one of the handsomest 
in the South and occupies one of the noblest positions 
in the state. Successive legislatures have added to it 
until little remains to make it one of the leading 
benevolent institutions of the country. The cyclone 
of 1894 demolished the front wall of one of the wings, 




INSANE ASYLUM. 



but this was soon repaired. Dr. P. O. Hooper was its 
superintendent from 1885 to 1893, and to his efficiency 
is due the high rank which the institution has attained. 
He was succeeded by Dr. J. J. Robertson, the present 
able superintendent. 

192, The Pine Bluff Branch Normal College. The estab- 
lishment of the Pine Bluff Branch Normal College for 
colored students was another progressive act of this 
legislature. The appropriation was $10,000. With 
this, grounds were bought in Pine Bluff and a buildino- 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 237 

was erected. Prof. J. C. Corbin was placed in charge 
and has been retained ever since. The institution is 
under the control of the trustees of the Arkansas 
Industrial University, and is supported by appropria- 
tions from the state. Other legislatures have given 
money to make needed additions and enlargements. 
The legislature of 1873 provided by enactment for 
this school, but it was not begun until 1875. The 
appropriation of 1880 enabled the board to erect a 
handsome two-story brick building. A woman's dor- 
mitory was added in 1889, and a building for a 
mechanical department later on. The college gives 
free tuition upon the same basis as the Arkansas 
Industrial University, and has been an influential fac- 
tor in the development of the negro race. 

193. The Medical College. The same legislature au- 
thorized the board of trustees of the Arkansas Indus- 
trial University to establish a medical department in the 
university. This was done by selecting an able faculty 
from among the physicians and surgeons of Little 
Rock and authorizing it to establish a medical college. 
The institution obtained popular favor at once. 

194. The Perry County Trouble, In 1881 the county 
judge of Perry county represented to the governor that 
he was unable to discharge the duties of his office on 
account of the lawlessness that prevailed in the neigh- 
borhood. The governor sent Gen. Robert C. Newton 
to Perryville to make an investigation. The latter 
recommended that Hon. Jabez M. Smith should be 
empowered to hold a special term of the circuit court, 
at once, in order that the parties guilty of lawlessness 
might be brought to trial. In the meantime the pub- 
lisher of the Fourche Valley Times was killed and the 



238 HISTORY OF ARKAXSAS. 

sheriff of the county asked for militia to help arrest the 
men guilty of the deed. Governor Churchill sent the 
Quapaw guards under command of Gen. Newton to 
the assistance of the sheriff. The militia remained 
three weeks, during which time the civil law took its 
course; then the militia was withdrawn. 

195. The Elections, Three state tickets were before 
the people in 1882. The Democratic party nominated 
James H. Berry as governor; the Republican party, 
W. D. Slack; and the Greenback party, Rufus K. Gar- 
land. The canvass before the election was very excit- 
ing and brought out the largest vote that had ever been 
polled. Berry received 87,625 votes; Slack, 49^354; 
and Garland, 10,142. 

The increase of population as shown by the census 
of 1880 gave Arkansas one more congressman, but as 
the legislature had not redistricted the state the elec- 
tions were held in the four old districts for four repre- 
sentatives and in the state at large for the fifth. The 
result was as follows: Poindexter Dunn, ist district; 
James K. Jones, 2d; John H. Rogers, 3d; Samuel W. 
Peel, 4th; and Clifton R. Breckinridge from the state 
at large. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



239 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

JAMES H. berry's ADMINISTRATION, 1883-1885. 

196. The Personnel. 199. The Cotton Centennial. 

197. The 24th Legislature. 200. The Louisville Exposition. 

198. The Howard County Troubles 201. Death of Judge English. 

202. The Elections, 

196. The Personnel, James H. Berry was born in 
Alabama in 1841, and came with his father to Arkan- 
sas in 1848. His father settled in Carroll county and 
one of its county seats 
perpetuates his name. 
When the war broke out, 
the young man enlisted 
in an Arkansas regiment 
and at the battle of Cor- 
inth lost one of his legs. 
After the war he taught 
school, meanwhile prepar- 
ing himself for the law. 
In 1866 he was elected to 
the legislature and was a 
member of the famous 
"rebel legislature" that 
passed the first common- 
school law based upon taxation. In 1869 he moved 
to Benton county, where he was again sent to 
the legislature in 1872. He w^as reelected to the 
legislature in 1874, and was by that body appointed 
speaker. In 1878 he was elected judge of the 4th 
judicial circuit, which position he held until he was 
elected governor. In 1885 he was elected United 




240 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

States senator to succeed Hon. A. H. Garland who 
had resigned to accept the cabinet position of attorney- 
general of the United States. He was reelected to 
this position in 1889 and again in 1895. His fellow 
officers were Jacob Frolich, secretary of state; A. W. 
Files, auditor; William E. Woodruff, Jr., treasurer; 

C. B. Moore, attorney-general; W. P. Campbell, land 
commissioner; W. W. Smith, supreme judge; W. E, 
Thompson, superintendent of public instruction. 

D. W. Carroll was reelected chancellor, and J. \V. 
Callaway, chancery clerk. Governor Berry was inau- 
gurated January 13, 1883. 

197. The 24th Legislature. One of the acts of this 
body was the creation of Cleburne county (February 
20, 1883). It was named after Gen. Patrick R. Cle- 
burne and its county seat was located at Sugar Loaf. 
This made the seventy-fifth county of the state, and 
completes the list to the present time. 

The finance board of the state was dissolved by this 
legislature. Its work for several years had been to 
devise ways and means by which the credit of the state 
should be maintained, and by which the money might 
be obtained to meet the expenses of the state. In 
1874 the state was flooded with scrip, which was used 
by both state and county to discharge obligations. 
Its value having fallen far below par, the circulation of 
the scrip was looked upon as a financial evil. To 
obtain ready money for the needs of the state was the 
task of the board. Year by year the scrip grew 
more valuable until at last it reached its par value. 
In late years no scrip has been issued, the taxes being 
paid in currency, and the expenditures kept to the 
limit of the receipts. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 241 

The legislature also provided for the revision of the 
laws of the state which were to be published in one 
volume and digested. The governor appointed W. 
W. Mansfield, digester, and U. M. Rose, examiner. 
Judge Mansfield began the work at once and finished 
it during the year 1884. It was certified by Judge 
Rose in January, 1885, and was soon thereafter 
printed. This volume is known as Mansfield's Digest 
of the Law. 

198. Howard County Troubles. In 1883 fifty or sixty 
negroes entered Howard county, armed with guns 
and pistols, and killed a man at work in a field. 
A deputy sheriff with a body of men attempted to 
arrest them and in the struggle that ensued three of 
the negroes were killed. The excitement was very 
great and a general uprising of the negroes was 
feared. Gen. Newton w^as sent to Howard county to 
aid in preserving the peace. The guilty negroes were 
arrested and confined in jail, but there were so many 
of them that their maintenance made a serious drain 
upon the county funds, which riiany citizens resented. 
Mob violence was feared, but Governor Berry went in 
person to the county, and strengthened by his presence 
the prevailing sentiment of the citizens that no matter 
how poor the county, or how heavy the expense, the 
disgrace of mob law must be averted. The civil 
law triumphed and the negroes were punished. Many 
of them were afterwards pardoned by Governor 
Berry. 

199. The Cotton Centennial. The legislature made an 
appropriation in 1883 to enable the state of Arkansas 
to exhibit its resources at the Cotton Centennial and 
World's Industrial Exposition to be held at New 

HIST. OF ARK. — 16 



242 HISTORY OF ARKAXSAS. 

Orleans in 1884. The governor appointed J. T. W. 
Tillar, A. G. Jarman, W. L. Cravens, Thomas W. 
Steele, J. W. Corcoran, F. R. Madison, and C. M. 
Hervey, state commissioners. Dr. C. M. Taylor was 
appointed by the President of the United States as 
United States commissioner, and Gen. Dandridge 
McRae was made superintendent. The commission 
applied itself diligently to the furtherance of the expo- 
sition and gathered from all parts of Arkansas a mass 
of exhibits which gave the state a high standing at 
New Orleans. 

Arkansas was granted an award for the best collec- 
tive display of apples and twenty awards for single 
varieties. Over one hundred diplomas were granted 
for agricultural products, mineral specimens, cotton 
and manufactured articles. Boone county was awarded 
first premium for the best collection of apples, peaches, 
and pears, and thirteen awards for individual speci- 
mens. The award for the best specimen of apples was 
given to the Shannon. It is said that this apple has 
been grown in Washington county since 1833. When 
the exhibit was examined by the judges there were 
22,000 plates of apples from Arkansas displayed to 
their view. 

200. The Louisville Exposition. Another appropriation 
w^as made by the legislature to enable the state to ex- 
hibit at Louisville, Kentucky, during the year 1883. 
The commission appointed by the governor included 
Dr. C. M. Taylor, Dr. J. M. Keller, S. R. Cockrill, Sr., 
S. H. Nowlin, J. M. Hewitt, John C. Calhoun, G. W. 
Wooten, Charles Wallace, Thomas W. Baird, and Dr. 
Guy Lewis. The awards on cotton and apples at both 
these expositions established our right to claim first 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



243 



rank for quality.^ The success of the expositions 
induced Governor Berry to advise the legislature in 
his message in 1885 to create the Bureau of Agricul- 
ture, Mines, and Manufactures with a permanent 
office in Little Rock, 
in which the exhibits 
should be preserved 
as a continuous ad- 
vertisement of our 
resources and 
wealth. The rec- 
ommendation w a s 
repeated by Gov- 
ernor Hughes in 
1887 and resulted in 
the creation of the 
Agricultural Bureau. 
201. Death of Judge 
English. On Septem- 
ber I, 1884, Elbert 
H, English, chief 
justice of the su- 
preme court from 1854 to 1884, died at Ashville, N. C, 
after a life of arduous labor. His body was brought 
to Little Rock and placed in the senate chamber, 
where it lay in state until the hour of burial. He was 
buried in Mount Holly cemetery, the funeral being 
attended by a procession of state and Federal officials, 
local societies and citizens. His death was lamented 
throughout Arkansas. Sterling R. Cockrill of Little 




STERLING R, COCKRILL. 



I. Cotton was picked in Lee county, shipped to Louisville, spun into yarn, 
woven into cloth, cut and fitted, and made into a suit of clothes for Governor 
Berry, within forty-eight hours from the time of picking. 



244 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

Rock was chosen by the people as his successor (Nov. 
4, 1884). 

202. The Elections. The canvass for the Democratic 
nomination in 1884 was very exciting. At the con- 
vention in June the two leading candidates were 
Simon P. Hughes and John G. Fletcher. On the 36th 
ballot Simon P. Hughes was nominated. The Repub- 
licans nominated Thomas F. Boles of Dardanelle. 
The vote cast was 156,310, of which Hughes received 
100,773, and Boles 55,537. 

In the November elections the vote of the state was 
cast for Cleveland and Hendricks. The President 
appointed August H. Garland attorney-general, Hugh 
A. Dinsmore of Bentonville minister to Corea, A. B. 
Williams of Washington member of the Utah commis- 
sion, and T. B. Welch consul to Hamilton, Ontario. 

The state having been redistricted by the legislature, 
the following congressmen were elected in 1884: 
Poindexter Dunn, ist district; Clifton R. Breckin- 
ridge, 2d, James K. Jones, 3d; John H. Rogers, 4th; 
and Samuel Peel, 5th. James K. Jones being elected 
to the Senate of the United States during the following 
winter, Thomas C. McRae was chosen to succeed him 
in Congress. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



245 



CHAPTER XXX. 



SIMON P. HUGHES's ADMINISTRATION, 1885-1; 



203. 


The Personnel. 


208. 


Geological Survey. 


20i. 


The 25th Legislature. 


209. 


Railroad Strike. 


205. 


Supreme Court Changes. 


210. 


Bureau of Mines, etc 


206. 


Railroad Taxation. 


211. 


State Debt Board. 


207. 


Expositions. 


212. 


The Elections. 



203. The Personnel. Simon P. Hughes was born in 
Tennessee in 1830. He moved to Arkansas in 1844, 
and in 1849, he engaged in farming in Monroe 
county. In 1857 he was 
admitted to the bar. 
He was sheriff of the 
county from 1854 to 1856. 
He entered the Confed- 
erate army in 1 861, as 
captain of a company in 
Chas. W. Adams' regi- 
ment, and was afterwards 
promoted to the lieuten- 
ant colonelcy. After the 
reorganization of this 
regiment he entered the 
cavalry service as a pri- 
vate m Morgan's Texas 
battalion and served till 
the close of the war. In 1866 he was sent to the 
legislature from Monroe county, and in 1874 he was a 
delegate to the constitutional convention. He was 
attorney-general from 1874 to 1876, and governor from 




SIMON P. HUGHES. 



246 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



1885 to 1889. On April 2, 1889, he was elected judge 
of the supreme court, which position he now holds. 
His assistant state officers were: E. B. Moore, secretary 
of state; A. W. Files, auditor; William E. Woodruff, Jr., 
treasurer; Daniel W. Jones, attorney-general; D. W. 

Carroll, chancellor; J. 
W. Callaway, chancery 
clerk; Paul M. Cobbs, 
land commissioner; and 
W. E. Thompson, super- 
intendent of public in- 
struction. 

204. The 25th Legisla- 
ture. The term of Sen- 
ator Walker expiring, 
James K. Jones was 
elected senator for the 
full term. Senator James 
H. Berry was elected to 
fill the vacancy created 
by Augustus H. Gar- 
land's resignation. These men have been at each 
subsequent election reelected and are the present 
senators. Thomas C. McRae was elected by the people 
to succeed J. K. Jones as congressman, and has been 
reelected at every election to the present time (1897). 
205. Supreme Court Changes, On September 3, 1885, 
John R. Eakin, judge of the supreme court, died at 
Marshall, Missouri. His remains were interred in 
Washington, Hempstead county. At a special election 
held afterwards, B. B. Battle was chosen to succeed 
him. On Dec. 18, 1888, Judge W. W. Smith died; he 
was an able lawyer and a credit to the bench. At a 




THOMAS C. M RAE. 



ni STORY OF ARKANSAS. 247 

special election held on April 2, 1889, M. H. Sandels 
of Ft. Smith was chosen to succeed him. On Oct. 6, 
1887, B. D. Turner, the reporter of the court, died, 
and was succeeded by W. W. Mansfield. On June 13, 
1886, Luke E. Barber, clerk of the supreme court, 
died, having held the position thirty-five years. He 
was succeeded byW, P. Campbell of Woodruff county. 

The population of the state having reached one mil- 
lion, the constitution permitted an increase of the 
number of judges of the supreme court from three to 
five, and by legislative enactment the increase was 
made Feb. 20, 1889. On April 2, 1889, a special elec- 
tion was held for the two additional judges, and Simon 
P. Hughes and W. E. Hemingway were chosen. At 
the first meeting of the supreme court after the elec- 
tion, it was determined by lot that S. P. Hughes should 
have the long, and W. E. Hemingway the short term. 

206. Railroad Taxation. Considerable dissatisfaction 
existed throughout the state over the small valuations 
returned by the railroads for taxation. A board of 
railroad commissioners, consisting of the governor, 
secretary of state, and auditor, was created by the 
legislature in 1883, and in June of that year the board 
organized and proceeded to assess the property of the 
railroads for taxation. Before they had completed 
their task they were enjoined by the Pulaski chancery 
court at the suit of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and 
Southern, and the Memphis and Little Rock Railroad 
companies. 

These companies declared that their charters had 
been granted with a clause exempting them from taxa- 
tion, and that the act of the legislature authorizing 
their taxation was in violation of the constitution of 



248 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



the United States. Governor Berry retained the 
services of Judge U. M. Rose to assist the attorney- 
general, C. B. Moore, in the defense of these suits. 
The cases were argued before the chancery court and 
were decided in favor of the state. An appeal was 
taken to the supreme court of the state, and to the 
supreme court of the United States, but without suc- 
cess. The state's right to tax the railroads was sus- 
tained in every court. 

In the meantime the board proceeded with its valua- 
tions and assessed the railroads in 1884 at $6,352,985. 

At the first meeting of 
the board, under Hughes' 
administration, the as- 
sessment was placed at 
$9,612,773; m 1886 itrose 
to$i3, 704,638 and in 1895 
to $21,333,232. The total 
mileage of all railroads 
in Arkansas in 1895 was 
2j373- (See tables in Ap- 
pendix for names of rail- 
roads and branches, and 
lengths of each, as furn- 
ished by H. B. Armistead, 
secretary of state.) The 
decision of the courts en- 
abled the state to tax the roads from 1883. But as no 
taxes had been paid from 1874 to 1883 the state insti- 
tuted suits for back taxes. The attorney-general, 
Daniel W. Jones, was successful in the lower courts, 
and also in the supreme court of the state and of the 
United States, The St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and 




DANIEL W. JONES. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 249 

Southern Railroad Company then offered the legislature 
$250,000 in full of all back claims upon its main line 
and all its branches. This offer was accepted. This 
fund was equitably divided between the state, the 
counties, and the school districts, under the direction 
of the state board of education. 

207. Expositions. At the close of the Cotton Cen- 
tennial Exposition at New Orleans, the North, Cen- 
tral, and South American Exposition was organized, 
and Gov. Hughes appointed Gen. Dandridge McRae 
sole commissioner to represent the state. The ma- 
terial used by the state in the previous exposition, 
with as much more as could be gathered, was ex- 
hibited on Nov. 10, 1885. As before, the apples 
and agricultural exhibits took first premiums. Stimu- 
lated by these successes Prof. W. S. Thomas, in con- 
nection with the Iron Mountain Railroad, organized an 
exposition of fruit for the Pomological Exhibition at 
Boston, Mass., and was awarded first premiums for 
collections and single varieties (1887). Prof. Thomas 
then transported the fruit to the American Agricul- 
tural Society at Riverside, California, and met with the 
same success. About this time another display was 
made at St. Louis, with gratifying results. 

In 1887 the citizens of the state organized the 
Arkansas State Exposition at Little Rock. It was the 
greatest local display of the resources of the state that 
had ever been made. Citizens from all parts of the 
state gave their time, and the results were satisfactory 
to the people. One of the features of the fair was 
school children's day, and it attracted large numbers 
of schools from different parts of the state. All par- 
ties united to make the occasion a happy one, and 



250 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

much sectional feeling engendered during the war gave 
way to a better spirit. 

The state's cotton producing power had never been 
questioned, but these successive exhibitions of fruit, 
horticultural, agricultural, and mineral productions, 
led to a conviction that in general agriculture and 
in horticulture, as well as in mining, there were prac- 
tical possibilities of wealth greater than in cotton. 
Since then the acreage of fruit trees, small fruits, and 
corn has been largely increased, with rich results. 
Coal mining in Sebastian, Johnson, and Pope counties 
has been conducted on a large scale and is an import- 
ant factor of our wealth. 

208. Geological Survey, On March 5, 1887, the 
legislature passed a bill creating the office of state 
geologist and providing for a geological survey of the 
state. The champion of this bill was E. W. Rector of 
Garland county. Gov. Hughes appointed Prof. J. C. 
Branner, an eminent geologist who had been connected 
with the geological survey of Brazil and Pennsylvania, 
as state geologist. None but eminent men were con- 
nected with the work from its very inception, and the 
survey stands as one of the most accurate and most 
thoroughly scientific of state surveys. Every part of 
the state has been examined, and the report so far has 
filled thirteen volumes and an atlas. The volumes 
deal with separate subjects, as follows: Gold, Silver, 
Mesozoic Age, Coal, Washington County, Crowley's 
Ridge, Manganese, Igneous Rocks, Novaculites, Mar- 
bles, Mineral Waters, Iron, the Tertiary Era. Possibly 
no legislative measure has been of so great a value to 
the state as this, and its effect will be felt more and 
more as we advance in wealth and population. It has 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 25 1 

already turned aside our energies from a search for the 
precious metals to the development of coal, marble, 
granite, manganese and novaculite. 

209. Railroad Strike. Early in 1886 a widespread 
strike of railroad employees occurred in Missouri, 
Arkansas, and Texas. The trouble extended to the 
St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and Southern Railway, and 
at one time threatened the peace of the statje. The 
sheriff of Miller county called upon the governor for 
aid in enforcing the law at Texarkana. The governor 
directed Capt. John H. Twigg to hold the Gate City 
guards in readiness to support the sheriff in case of 
need. The presence of the militia had a beneficial 
effect, and violence and bloodshed were averted. 

210. Bureau of Mines, Manufactures, and Agriculture. 
On Feb. i, 1888, a large convention of citizens from 
nearly every county of the state met at Little Rock to 
organize an Immigration Bureau. The funds were 
raised by private subscription, and the officers were 
taken from all parties. H. L. Remmel, the secretary, 
distributed over 1,800,000 pages of reading matter de- 
scriptive of the state, and organized many subordi- 
nate bureaus in different counties. At the ensuing 
session of the legislature the Bureau of Mines, Manu- 
factures, and Agriculture was established (March 7, 
1889), and M. F. Locke was appointed commissioner. 

211. State Debt Board. On April 15, 1887, the legis- 
lature created the State Debt Board, composed of 
the governor, the secretary of state, and the auditor. 
Its duties were to superintend the settlement of the 
valid and undisputed indebtedness of the state. To 
enable it to perform its duty, a perpetual tax of one 
mill on the dollar was levied on all the property of the 



252 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



212 s The Elections, 



state. This levy was afterwards (April 9, 1891), 
reduced to one half of one mill and at that rate is 
levied to-day. The debt of the state after subtracting 
the illegal railroad and levee bonds was nearly 
$5,000,000, including principal and interest (1887). 
No interest had been paid since 1872, and this was felt 
by many citizens to be wrong. The debt to-day is 
about what it was when the board was created; that 
is to say, the operations of the board in buying bonds 
have been equivalent to paying the interest on the 
public debt. A large part of this debt is due to the 
government of the United States. On the other hand, 
the state claims from the government a large amount 
of money growing out of the various land grants made 
to the state. 

In September, 1886, Simon P. 
Hughes was reelect- 
ed governor. The 
Republicans nomi- 
nated Lafayette 
Gregg for governor, 
and the State Wheel 
party, Charles E. 
Cunningham. The 
vote cast was 163,889, 
of which Hughes re- 
ceived 90,650, Gregg 
54,070, and Cunning- 
ham 19,169. All the 
old officers were re- 
elected, except the 
auditor, who was suc- 
ceeded in office by 



JOHN H, ROGERS. 




HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 253 

William R. Miller. Mr. Miller died on the 29th of 
November, 1887, and W. S. Dunlop was appointed his 
successor. 

In 1888 the canvass for the nominations of the 
Democratic party was very exciting. Gov. Hughes 
was suggested for the third term. Other candidates 
were John G. Fletcher, E. W. Rector, James P. Eagle, 
and William M. Fishback. One hundred and thirty- 
six ballots were taken before a decision was reached, 
when the nomination fell to James P. Eagle of Lonoke 
county. The Union Labor Party nominated Dr. 
Charles M. Norwood of Nevada county, who was en- 
dorsed by the Republicans. At the election Eagle 
received 99,229 votes, and Norwood 84,223. 

In November, W. H. Gate was elected to Congress 
from the ist district; Clifton R. Breckinridge from the 
2d; T. C. McRae from the 3d; J. H. Rogers^ from 
the 4th, and S. W. Peel from the 5th, The election 
of W. H. Cate was contested in Congress by L. P. 
Featherston, and the seat was awarded to the latter. 
The electoral vote of Arkansas was cast for Cleveland 
and Thurman. 

I. Mr. John H. Rogers gained a national reputation through his controver- 
sies with the speaker of the House, T. B. Reed. He was successful in gaining 
the military reservation at Ft. Smith for the public schools of that city, thus 
providing a permanent fund which has added strength and efficiency to the Ft. 
Smith schools. 



254 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS, 



CHAPTER XXXI. 



JAMES P. EAGLE S ADMINISTRATION. 



-93- 



213. The Personnel. 

214. Murder of John M. Clayton. 

215. Agricultural Experiment Sta- 

tion. 

216. Elections of 1890. 

217. Direct Tax. 



218. Arkansas "World's Fair Asso- 

ciation. 

219. The Coal Hill Outrages. 

220. The Normal School System. 

221. Mine Inspection. 

222. The Census. 



223. The Elections. 



213. The Personnel. James P. Eagle was born in Ten- 
nessee in 1837 and came witii his father to Arkansas 

in 839. His early life 
was passed upon a 
farm. He attended 
college after he was 
thirty years of age, 
and after he had 
passed through the 
war. In 1873 he was 
chosen to represent 
Prairie county in the 
legislature, and was 
a member of the 
I famous extra session 
of 1874. When the 
constitutional con- 
vention of 1874 was 
called, he was a del- 
jAMEs p. EAGLE. cgatc from Prairie 

county. In 1877 he represented Lonoke county, and 
also in 1885, when he was made speaker of the house. 




HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 255 

Iq 1889 he was chosen by the people of the state as 
go^'-ernor, which position he held two terms. When 
the war broke out he entered the Confederate service 
as a private in Mcintosh's regiment. He was success- 
ively lieutenant, captain, major, and finally lieutenant 
colonel. He was a minister of the Baptist church, and 
for many years was the president of the Baptist state 
convention. His fellow officers were B. B. Chism, 
secretary of state; W. S. Dunlop, auditor; William E. 
Woodruff, Jr., treasurer; Sterling R. Cockrill, chief 
justice of the supreme court; W. E. Atkinson, attorney- 
general; W. E. Thompson, superintendent of public 
instruction, and Paul M. Cobbs, land commissioner. 

214. Murder of John M. Clayton. Shortly after the 
inauguration of Gov. Eagle, the country was startled 
by the news that John M. Clayton of Pine Bluff had 
been assassinated at Plummerville. In the Congres- 
sional race of the preceding autumn he had been a 
candidate on the Republican ticket for Congress in the 
second district, and was defeated by C. R. Breckin- 
ridge. Not satisfied with the returns, he began the 
collection of evidence for the purpose of contesting 
Mr. Breckinridge's election. 

He was engaged in this work when he was killed. 
On the night of January 29, 1889, at about nine o'clock, 
he was seated in his room at the hotel, when a shot was 
fired through the window, which killed him instantly. 
The assassination was condemned by all parties and a 
large reward was offered for the murderers. Col. Clay- 
ton was an excellent man, and was highly esteemed 
even by his political opponents. The funeral services 
were held at Pine Bluff, attended by more than 5,000 
people from Pine Bluff, Little Rock, Camden, Hot 



256 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

Springs, Russellville, Brinkley, and Ft. Smith, and rep- 
resenting all parties. The legislature passed a special 
act authorizing the governor to offer a reward of $5,000 
for the arrest of the assassin, and this was increased 
by the additional offers of private individuals, but the 
murderer was never discovered. This was the third 
public man assassinated in the history of the state, the 
other two victims being Congressman James Hinds in 
1868, and General T. C. Hindman in the same year. 

Congress declared the seat of Clifton R. Breckin- 
ridge vacant in September, 1890, but he was reelected 
at a special election which ensued. 

215. Agricultural Experiment Station. The Congress 
of the United States on March 2, 1887, passed a law 
establishing agricultural experiment stations in con- 
nection with the colleges established under the Land 
Grant Act of 1862, and on March 7, 1889, the legisla- 
ture of Arkansas accepted the appropriation in trust 
for the Arkansas Industrial University, and assigned it 
at once to that institution, for its use and disburse- 
ment. The board of trustees thereupon established 
stations for experiments in agriculture, horticulture, 
and stock raising at Fayetteville, Pine Bluff, Camden, 
and Newport. The results of these experiments are 
published in quarterly bulletins. There can be no doubt 
that the ultimate effect of this movement will be an 
improvement in methods of farming and a largely 
increased production. 

216. Elections of 1890. At the September elections 
of 1890, James P. Eagle was reelected governor. His 
opponent was N. B. Fizer. The other offtcers selected 
were B. B. Chism, secretary of state; R. B. Morrow, 
treasurer; W. S. Dunlop, auditor; B. C. Myers, land 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 257 

commissioner; W. E. Atkinson, attorney-general; 
Josiah H. Shinn, superintendent of public instruction, 
and M. F. Locke, commissioner of mines, manufactures, 
and agriculture. S. W. Peel, C. R. Breckinridge, W. 
H. Gate, T. C. McRae and W. L. Terry, were elected 
to Congress. 

M. H. Sandels, judge of the supreme court, and one 
of the ablest members of the bench, died in this year, 
and W. W. Mansfield was elected to succeed him. 
T. D. Crawford was then appointed to the reporter's 
place, vacated by Judge Mansfield. 

217. Direct Tax. Under an act of Congress passed 
in 1861, a direct tax was levied upon the real estate of 
the various states, to defray the expenses of the Civil 
War. This tax was not collected in Arkansas except 
during the years 1865 and 1866. When the supreme 
court of the United States declared the tax unconsti- 
tutional. Congress enacted (1891) that the money be 
refunded to the states that had paid it. The amount 
collected in Arkansas was $156,272; this was placed 
to the credit of the state in the United States treas- 
ury, and a check was sent to Gov. Eagle. The check 
was cashed by the governor in St. Louis, and deposited 
in the treasury. 

Then came the labor of finding the persons to 
whom the" money belonged. Gov. Eagle sent Gen. 
B. W. Green to Washington to obtain a copy of the 
direct tax books, which were filed in the treasury 
department. After the return of Gen. Green with 
the duplicate tax books the work of refunding to the 
taxpayers began. The largest part of the fund soon 
found its way back to the taxpayers who had parted 
with it twenty-five years before. But many of those 

HIST, OF ARK. — 1 7 



258 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



entitled to payment were either dead without heirs, or 
had removed from the state, so that tliere remained a 
large fund unclaimed, $15,000 of which the legislature 
appropriated to defray the expenses of the state at the 
World's Columbian Exposition. Should the proper 
claimants ever present their claims the state will pay 
them out of its own revenues. 

218. Arkansas World's Fair Association. In December, 
1891, the citizens of the state organized a joint-stock 



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ARKANSAS STATE BUILDING, WORI.d's FAIR, CHICAGO. 

company for the purpose of making an exhibit of the 
state's resources at the World's Columbian Exposition 
at Chicago in 1893. Its directors were John D. 
Adams, J. H. Clendenning, George R. Brown, M. F. 
Locke, John G. Fletcher, James P. Eagle, J. D. Kim- 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 259 

ball, H. E. Kelley, J. M. Lucey, and L. Minor. The 
association raised a large sum of money and erected a 
fine building at Chicago. 

It was thought by many that an exhibition of the 
magnitude of the World's Fair, engaging the attention 
of all the great nations of the earth, as well as of the 
various states of the American Union, should be hon- 
ored with an exhibit made by the state instead of by a 
private association. The directors of the association 
generously offered the legislature the building already 
erected, and the control of the exhibits already 
gathered. In 1891 the legislature refused to make an 
appropriation, but in 1893 the offer of the World's Fair 
Association was accepted, and an appropriation of 
$15,000 was made to fill the building with exhibits. 
Thus the Arkansas World's Fair Association, after mak- 
ing it possible for the state to exhibit, surrendered its 
charter and passed out of existence. 

The legislature also made an educational appro- 
priation and authorized the superintendent of public 
instruction, to make a separate educational exhibit. 
In addition to this the collection of permanent ex- 
hibits in the Department of Mines, Manufactures, 
and Agriculture, were loaned to the exhibition, 
and the commissioner, W. G. Vincenheller, was 
authorized to cooperate with the World's Fair board. 
The governor appointed James Mitchell, W. S. 
Thomas, H. L. Norwood, E. L. Pascoe, and R. 
B. Weaver, state commissioners. The President of 
the United States appointed John D. Adams and 
J. H. Clendenning members of the national commis- 
sion from Arkansas. Two alternates were also ap- 
pointed, J. T. W. Tillar and Thomas H. Leslie. The 



26o HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

death of Mr. Adams caused the duties of his posi- 
tion to fall upon J. T. W. Tillar. 

219. The Coal Hill Outrages. By an act of the legisla- 
ture passed April 15, 1873, the Board of Penitentiary 
Commissioners was authorized to lease the convicts of 
the penitentiary to corporations or private individuals 
for hire. On May 7, 1873, J. M. Peck became the 
lessee for ten years. By this lease the state received 
nothing except a release from the payment of any 
expense growing out of the keepmg of the convicts. 
Some time after this Zeb Ward became a co-lessee 
with Peck, and in March, 1875, became sole lessee. 

In October, 1875, an investigation was made by the 
board of commissioners into the treatment of the pris- 
oners. This investigation was brought about by the 
publication, in an evening paper at Little Rock, of a 
report of certain outrages alleged to have been perpe- 
trated upon the convicts. The result of the investiga- 
tion showed that in many cases excessive punishment 
had been inflicted, and that the rules had been violated 
in other particulars. Gov. Garland called the attention 
of the legislature to these evils, and to the added evil of 
employing prisoners outside the walls, but the state was 
unable at that time to change the system. In 1876 an 
indignation meeting was held in Little Rock protest- 
ing against the employment of convicts on the streets 
of the city, which resulted in an order from the board 
forbidding such labor. The whole system of convict 
labor was a source of many vexatious law suits and 
public scandals, but was so firmly rooted in the state's 
polity as to defy change. 

On May 7, 1883, Townsend and Fitzpatrick became 
the lessees for ten years, paying the state $26,000 per 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 261 

annum and bearing all expense. The lessees soon 
formed a corporation called the Arkansas Industrial 
Company and took charge of the prisoners. The 
convicts were leased to plantation owners, public 
contractors, and owners of coal mines. The gene- 
ral management of the company was humane, but 
it was not able to control its numerous deputies and 
guards. In the year 1887, the evil culminated in a great 
scandal in the coal mines at Coal Hill. Prisoners were 
whipped unmercifully, worked at unlawful hours, and 
brutally treated. An investigation revealed a course of 
treatment that was a disgrace to our civilization, and 
the convicts were removed to Little Rock. The public 
conscience was awakened. Grand juries began to 
indict and the courts to punish the wrongdoers. The 
legislature created the office of prison inspector in 
1889, and at the expiration of the lease it was not 
renewed. The state has since then taken charge of 
the convicts, and while hard labor is still required, the 
lease system with its evils, has been abolished.^ 

220. The Normal School System. The state has never 
established a distinct normal school for the training 
of teachers. The superintendent of public instruction 
in 1891 urged an appropriation for the establishment 
of short term normal schools in different parts of the 
state. The appropriation was made and two years 
later it was increased. In 1895 it was still further 

I. The legislature of 1893 authorized the board to take charge of the convicts 
and to manage them partly upon the "state account system " and partly upon 
the "contract system." Under the state account system the intention was to 
use the convicts upon state lands in quarrying building stone, clearing land 
and cultivating it, but no appropriation was made and the board was unable to 
carry out the plan. The convicts were hired out under contract, but the entire 
control remained in the state. The prisoners are well fed and humanely 
treated. 



262 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

increased, so that a school for the special training of 
teachers is now open in every county for one mouth 
each year. The effect of all these laws has been favor- 
able to the schools and has drawn the attention of the 
people to their needs. 

j 221. Mine Inspection. The development of our mining 
industries has caused much underground labor. The 
perils of such labor have called for the services of an 
expert inspector in all mining regions to look after the 
methods of lighting and ventilating, the means of 
entering and leaving, the supports for the walls and 
roofs, etc. In 1891 the legislature of Arkansas pro- 
vided for an inspector of mines in Arkansas, and the 
governor appointed Harry McMullins, a practical 
miner from Sebastian county, to that position. 

222. The Census and Apportionment. The census of 
1890 showed that the population of the state had 
reached 1,128,179, an increase of 325,654, or more 
than forty per cent since 1880. Of this the whites 
numbered 804,658, or eight elevenths of the enumera- 
tion. The census showed also that the following 
cities and towns had a population exceeding 2,000: 
Little Rock, 25,874; Ft. Smith, 11,311; Pine Bluff, 
9,952; Hot Springs, 8,086; Helena, 5,189; Eureka 
Springs, 3,706; Texarkana,^ 3,528; Fayetteville, 2,942; 
Camden, 2,571 ; Arkadelphia, 2,455 5 ^^"^ Buren, 2,281 ; 
Batesville, 2,150, and Jonesboro, 2,065. 

Congress fixed the basis of the new apportionment 
at 173,901, by which the state became entitled to six 
congressmen (1893-1903). The state was redis- 
tricted, and on Nov. 8, 1892, the following congress- 
men were elected: P. D. McCullough, Jr., ist district; 

I. On the Arkansas side. 



HI STORY OF ARKANSAS. 263 

C. R Breckinridge, 2d; T. C. McRae, 3d; W. L. 
Terry, 4th; Hugli A. Dinsmore, 5th; and Robert 
Neill, 6th. 

223. The Elections, The nominating conventions in 
1892 were attended by great excitement. Three con- 
ventions were held, and three full tickets nominated. 
The Democrats nominated William M. Fishback of Ft. 
Smith; the Republicans, W. G. Whipple of Little 
Rock, and the People's Party, J. P. Carnahan of 
Washington county. The total vote cast was 156,186, 
of which Fishback received 90,115, Whipple, 33,644, 
and Carnahan, 31,117. Fishback was elected. At the 
ensuing presidential election the vote of Arkansas was 
cast for Cleveland and Stevenson. Cleveland received 
87,834 votes; Harrison, 46,974, and Weaver, 11,831. 



CHAPTER XXXn. 

WILLIAM M. FISHBACK's ADMINISTRATION, 1893-1895. 

224. The Personnel. 229. Amendment No. 2. 

225. Supreme Court Changes. 230. The Railroad Strike. 

226. The Military Post. 231. The World's Columbian Ex- 

227. Presidential Changes. position. 

228. Ex-Confederate Home. 232. The Elections. 

224. The Personnel. William M. Fishback was born 
in Virginia, but moved to Arkansas, in his youth, 
settling at Ft. Smith. In 1861, he was sent as a dele- 
gate to the convention that passed the ordinance of 
secession. On May 5, 1864, he was elected by the 
Murphy legislature to the Senate of the United States, 



264 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



but was refused admittance. He was a delegate from 
Sebastian county to the constitutional convention in 
1874, 1877, 1879, and 1885. He was the author of the 
Fishback amendment to the constitution, and can- 
vassed the state for its adoption. He was elected 

governor of the 
state in 1892, and 
served one term, 
after w^hich he vol- 
untarily w^ithdrew. 

His fellow state 
officers were H. B. 
Armistead, secre- 
tary of state; C. B. 
^^ Mills, auditor of 
'- state; R. B. Morrow, 
"^ treasurer; J. P. 
Clarke, attorney- 
general; C. B. 
" Myers, land com- 
missioner; John D. 
Adams, commis- 
sioner of mines, 
manufactures, and agriculture; Josiah H. Shinn, super- 
intendent of public instruction, and W. E. Hemming- 
way, supreme judge. 

John D. Adams was installed on Nov. 4, 1892, and 
died on Dec. 7, 1892. He was one of the most widely 
known men of the state, and his death was generally 
lamented. Governor Eagle appointed Geo. M. Chap- 
line of Lonoke as his successor, and upon his resigna- 
tion in March, 1893, Governor Fishback appointed W. 
G. Vincenheller, commissioner. 




WM. M. FISHBACK. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



265 



ling 



225. Supreme Court Changes. On May i, 1893, Ster- 
R, Cockrill resigned his position as chief justice 

of the supreme court, and H. G. Bunn of Camden was 
appointed to that office. W. E. Hemmingway also re- 
signed as supreme 
judge, and R. H. 
Powell was ap- 
pointed to succeed 
him. On May 9, 
1894, W. W. Mans- 
field resigned, and 
J. E. Riddick was 
appointed his suc- 
cessor. In Septem- 
ber, 1893, H. G. 
Bunn was elected 
to fill the unexpired 
term of Sterling 
Cockrill, and Car- 
roll D. Wood that 
of W. E. Hem- 
mingway. At the "• ^- ^uNN. 
regular election in 1894, J. E. Riddick was elected 
to fill the unexpired term of Judge Mansfield, and 
B. B. Battle was reelected for the full term. The 
supreme court to-day is composed of H. G. Bunn, 
chief justice, and Simon P. Hughes, B. B. Battle, J. 
E. Riddick, and Carroll D. Wood, associate justices. 
The reporter of the court is T. D. Crawford. W. P. 
Campbell, supreme court clerk, died in the year 1896, 
and P. D. English was elected his successor. 

226. The Military Post. During the year 1892 an 
arrangement was effected by which the arsenal prop- 




^ 



266 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

erty in Little Rock was exchanged by the United 
States government for another piece of land on the 
top of Big Rock, the hill just above the city. The 
arsenal grounds were converted into a park by the city 
authorities and a military post was located on Big 
Rock by the government. When this post is com- 
pleted it will be one of the largest in the United States. 

227. Presidential Changes. The second election of 
Cleveland brought about a change of officers through- 
out the state. The Republican postmasters were 
changed, and Democrats were put in their places. 
The offices of postmaster in Arkansas cities are im- 
portant, and these positions are filled by appoint- 
ment of the President. President Cleveland had a 
difficult task in selecting officers from the great number 
of applicants. 

From T889 to 1893 the government offices in Arkan- 
sas were filled by Republicans; from 1893 to 1897 by 
Democrats. The great body of the people hardly 
knew of the changes. The land registers and receiv- 
ers, the United States district attorneys, the marshals 
and collectors, the postmasters, and some of the clerks 
were changed; but the business of the country pro- 
ceeded without interruption. Such a condition gives 
assurance that in each of the great parties there are 
efficient men, and that as a rule, no matter which 
party is in power, the public duties will be capably 
performed. 

Many places outside the state were given to Arkan- 
sas men. Geo. W. Caruth was sent as minister to 
Portugal, and Clifton R. Breckinridge was made 
ambassador to Russia. This was a first-class ministe- 
rial place, and Mr. Breckinridge has the honor of being 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 267 

the first Arkansas citizen to fill such a position. 
M. M. Duffie of Princeton, was made consul at Winni- 
peg, and Marcellus Davis consul to the Island of 
Trinidad. A. S. McKennon was appointed a mem- 
member of the Dawes Commission, the most important 
commission ever created for the settlement of the 
Indian question. 

228. Ex-Confederate Home. In 1889 the ex-Confeder- 
ates established an association at Little Rock to assist 
needy ex-Confederate soldiers, and the widows of 
deceased Confederates. The United States govern- 
ment had generously provided pensions for the Union 
soldiers, and it was deemed wise to have the state 
assist those who had fought under its call for purposes 
approved by it. The movement of the citizens had a 
good effect upon the legislature, for in April, 1891, 
that body passed a pension law for the relief of dis- 
abled Confederate soldiers, and levied a special tax to 
meet its demands. Shortly afterwards it incorporated 
the ex-Confederate association of Arkansas and 
authorized it to found a home for invalid and infirm 
Confederate soldiers. The association soon collected 
money enough to purchase a farm of fifty-eight acres 
on the turnpike leading from Little Rock to Sweet 
Home, upon which they established a soldiers' home. 
The association assumed the entire expense of the 
institution until 1893, when it tendered the legislature 
the farm and buildings and asked it to support the 
home. The gift was accepted and an appropriation 
was made to provide maintenance for the soldiers and 
to erect a commodious building. The home was fin- 
ished in 1893, and constitutes another of the benevo- 
lent enterprises of the state. 



268 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

229. Amendment No. 2. At the general election of 
1892 a second amendment to the constitution of the 
state was submitted to the people for their ratification. 
The amendment changed the law of suffrage materially, 
and made the payment of the annual poll tax levied by 
the state a condition of voting. It denied suffrage to 
every man, white or negro, who had not paid the tax, 
and for this reason was called the poll tax amend- 
ment. The vote for the amendment was 75,847 and 
against it 19,258. The number voting for it was a 
majority of those voting upon that question, but was 
not a majority of all the votes cast at the election. 
The vote was counted by the legislature of 1893, and 
the act was declared adopted. The adoption of this 
amendment has almost destroyed the race feeling in 
politics 

230. The Railroad Strike. Early in 1894 a great strike 
was declared by the American Railway Union, through 
its president, Eugene V. Debs, against the Pullman 
Sleeping Car Company. The trouble originated 
between the Pullman Car Company of Pullman, Illi- 
nois, and its employees. The grievance of the labor- 
ing men at Pullman was taken up by the American 
Railway Union, and an attempt was made to force all 
railroad companies to refuse to draw Pullman cars, but 
the railroad companies had contracts with the Pullman 
Company which they could not set aside. 

The strike was then waged against the railroad com- 
panies carrying these cars. In Chicago the strikers 
attempted to stop the running of all trains, and the 
strike extended rapidly to other cities and neighbor- 
hoods. The endeavors of the railroad companies to 
run their trains were resisted. Collisions occurred in 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 269 

which cars were overturned, wrecked, or burned. The 
evil extended to the government itself. The United 
States mail cars would not have been attacked by the 
strikers, but the railroad companies refused to move 
their trains with nothing but mail cars attached. 
They insisted on their right to carry any kind of cars, 
arranged as they pleased, and would assume no 
responsibility for the actions of Mr. Pullman in deal- 
ing with his employees. The strikers tried to cut off 
the Pullman coaches, which are generally placed at the 
rear end of trains; thereupon the railroads put the mail 
cars last. 

The militia of various states was called out by the 
governors to protect the railroads and the traveling 
public. Mr. Debs then tried to call a strike of all the 
working people of the country against the railroads, 
but failed in this attempt. Men everywhere saw the 
injustice of punishing the railroads in general for Mr. 
Pullman's offenses. The excitement was intense, and 
many lives were lost in the collisions. The interference 
with the mails at Chicago and San Francisco justified 
a proclamation from President Cleveland commanding 
the strikers to disperse. 

A regiment of United States regulars went to 
Chicago, and Gen. Miles was ordered to make that 
place his headquarters. This decisive action on the 
part of the President had its effect. The strikers ulti- 
mately agreed that the fight against the railroad com- 
panies was not just, and the strike was declared off. 

The trouble extended to Arkansas, and the 
employees of many of the roads joined the strike. 
Efforts to stop trains were made at several points, and 
the sheriffs were compelled to call on the governor 



270 HISTORY OF ARKAXSAS. 

for aid. During the excitement the interstate drill of 
crack militia companies occurred at Little Rock. 
Thousands of people were in attendance and the 
threatening language of the strikers led many to 
believe that trains would not be permitted to run, and 
that they would be held for an unlimited time in the 
city. The visiting companies from other states 
offered their services to the governor, but they were 
all declined. The governor ordered out several com- 
panies of the state militia and order was restored. 

231. The World's Columbian Exposition. This great 
exposition in honor of the 400th anniversary of the 
discovery of America by Columbus, opened at Chicago 
on the first day of May, 1893. It was a memorable 
event, the greatest of all the world's great exposi- 
tions. Nations the world over lent their aid to make 
it a success. Civilized and uncivilized peoples united 
to honor America, and to show the growth of science, 
art, invention, agriculture, manufacture, and educa- 
tion, during 400 years. It was a grand blending of 
peoples, religions, and thought. It lasted six months 
and was visited by millions of people. The entire cost 
of the exhibition was over $60,000,000. 

These great educational exhibitions began with the 
London National Exposition in 1761. This was 
confined to the people of England, and no "foreign 
spies" were permitted to make copies of the mechani- 
cal exhibits. France followed in 1798, and again in 
1801. The animus of these French exhibitions was 
the invention of machines that should interfere with 
England's trade. The French energy was tremendous, 
and before 1849 France had given the world eight 
national exhibitions. Austria had a national expo- 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 271 

sition in 1820, another in 1835, and still another in 
1849. Germany held three great expositions, one in 
1822, one in 1827, and one in 1844. 

These great competitive displays gave England, 
France, Austria, and Germany the lead in the arts and 
manufactures. The expositions alone made Berlin the 
center of German art and German industry. National 
exhibitions were frequently held at Dresden, Berne, 
Zurich, Lausanne, Brussels, Ghent, Moscow, St. Peters- 
burg, Warsaw, Lisbon, and Madrid. Each of them 
had a marked influence on development. The annual 
exposition at Nijni Novgorod in Russia joined Russia 
and Asia into a fraternal and commercial unity. 

But national expositions soon went out of fashion. 
Their scope was too narrow. International expositions 
were to take their place. For ten years England pre- 
pared for the first great international exposition, and 
gained the world's applause at its opening in 1851. It 
covered 1,000,000 square feet. The main building has 
gone into history as the famous "Crystal Palace." 
The United States made a very poor display, the only 
piece of American art which attracted attention being 
Power's " Greek Slave." The international exposi- 
tions which followed were those of Dublin, 1853; New 
York, 1853; Paris, 1855; London, 1862; Paris, 1867 
(one of the greatest expositions ever attempted and 
successfully carried out); Vienna, 1873; Philadelphia, 
1876; Paris, 1878 and 1889 (the latter the costliest, 
most elaborate, and most successful of all that had been 
attempted). 

It was left for America to exceed them all. The 
World's Fair was the triumph of exposition genius. 
On Chicago Day 716,881 persons passed through the 



272 HIS TOR Y OF A RKA N SA S. 

turnstiles. Daring the month of October more than 
6,000,000 people visited the fair, and during the 
exposition 21,479,661, or an average of 120,000 a day. 
The receipts were over $50,000,000. The Liberal Arts 
building cost $1,727,431. It was 1,687 feet or nearly 
one third of a mile long, and 757 feet or nearly one 
fifth of a mile wide, covering therefore thirty acres of 
ground, and its inside height was 200 feet. The iron 
trusses supporting the roof were the greatest ever con- 
structed. All inside of this was one room, the largest 
unincumbered court ever made. Machinery Hall cost 
$1,175,897; the Art Gallery, $737,811; the Agricultural 
Building, $638,675; Transportation Building, $483,183; 
Administration Building, $463,213; Electric Building, 
$423,530; Mines Building, $260,530; Fisheries Build- 
ing, $217,672; the Music Hall, Casino, and Peristyle, 
$366,253. In addition to these vast buildings for the 
general display of the products of the world, were the 
separate buildings of England, France, Germany, 
Brazil, New South Wales, and thirty-six state build- 
ings, among which was our own. 

The design of the Arkansas building followed classic 
models, and was of the French Rococo style of archi- 
tecture. Its ground area was sixty-six by ninety-two 
feet. In the center of the rotunda was a fountain of 
Hot Springs crystals lighted by electricity. The 
women of Arkansas vied with each other in making 
this spot worthy of the state, and their success was 
complete. It was in this building that Miss Fannie 
Scott endeared herself to all visitors, both from 
Arkansas and from abroad. For the first time in the 
history of the v/orld the women were represented by 
their own commission and in their own building. The 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 273 

national commission appointed Mrs. J. P. Eagle and 
Mrs. R. A. Edgerton members of the board of lady 
managers for Arkansas, and Mrs. J. H. Rogers ^ and 
Mrs. W. B. Empie, alternates. The women of Arkan- 
sas worked zealously before the legislature made the 
appropriation to have the state represented, and to 
them is due the credit of the building and of the general 
exhibit. The jury of awards numbered over seven 
hundred, and women were for the first time recognized 
as jurors. In the Department of Agriculture, Arkansas 
was given two of the jurors, and in the Department of 
Liberal Arts, two, one of them being Miss Ida Joe 
Brooks. 

The exhibit was the greatest ever made by the state, 
and that of the Department of Education was particu- 
larly notable. The schools of the state contributed 
exhibits of class-room work, and the school officials sent 
photographs of buildings and classes. Fifty-eight 
schools exhibited class work in bound volumes. The 
Little Rock and Hot Springs schools sent 1,200 speci- 
mens of map drawing. Eight hundred large photo- 
graphs of Arkansas schools decorated the walls. In 
all there were over 300 bound volumes and more than 
2,000 wall specimens. Forty-two awards were granted 
to the educational department, of which thirty-nine 
were for the schools. In the Horticultural Department 
seven awards were given to counties for apples, and 
in the Agricultural Department three for cotton. Thus 
while the United States took first rank among the 
nations of the earth as an exposition manager, our 
own state carried away its full share of the honors. 

I. Mrs. Rogers declined the appointment and Mrs. W. C. Ratclifife was ap- 
pointed in her place. 

HIST. OF ARK. — l8 



274 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

232. The Elections, At the general election in Sep- 
tember, 1894, the nominee of the Democratic party- 
was J. P. Clarke; of the Republican party, H. L. 
Remmel, and of the People's party, D. E. Barker. 
The total vote cast was 126,986. Clarke received 
74,809; Remmel, 26,085, and Barker, 24,541. In 
November, the following congressmen were elected: 
P. D. McCullough, Jr., ist district; J. S. Little, 2d; 
T. C. McRae, 3d; W. L. Terry, 4th; H. A. Dinsmore, 
5th; and Robert Neill, 6th. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 

JAMES P. Clarke's adaiinistration, 1895-1897. 

233. The Personnel. 240. Banks and Banking. 

234. The Constitutional Amend- 241. The Corbett-Fitzsimmons 

ments. Fight. 

235. Temperance Laws, 242. The Southern Educational 

236. The State Debt. Association. 

237. The Normal Institutes. 243. Growth of Colleges. 

238. The Piedmont Exposition. 244. The Public Schools. 

239. The Morrill Fund. 245. Newspapers. 

246. The Elections. 

233. The Personnel James Paul Clarke was born in 
Mississippi, August 18, 1854. He came to Arkansas 
in 1879 and settled at Helena, which has been his home 
ever since, except for a short residence at Ozark. He 
was elected to represent Phillips county in the lower 
house in 1887, and was sent to the state Senate in 
1889. At the second session of that body he was 
appointed president of the Senate, and in 1893 he was 
elected attorney-general. In 1894 he was elected gov- 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



21S 



ernor. After serving one term he refused to run for that 
position again, but resumed the practice of law at 
Little Rock. His fellow associates were: H. B. Armi- 
stead, secretary of state; C. B. Mills, auditor; Ransom 
Gulley, treasurer; E. B. Kinsworthy, attorney-general; 
J. F. Ritchie, land 
commissioner; W. G. 
Vincenheller, com- 
missioner of mines, 
manufactures, and 
agriculture, and 
Junius Jordan, sup- 
erintendent of public 
instruction. / 

234. Constitutional 
Amendments. Two /• 
amendments were 
suggested by the 
legislature of 1895: 

1. An amendment 
authorizing the gov- ^^^'/|/| 
ernor to fill vacan- ' 'f 
cies occurring in any james p. clarke. 

state, district, county, or township office. The ex- 
pense of special elections to fill vacancies had become 
so burdensome that an extension of the appointing 
power was proposed and submitted to the people. The 
vote for this amendment was 43,426, and against it, 
40,207. It was therefore adopted, and is known as 
amendment No. 3 to the constitution of the state. 

2. An amendment, authorizing the levy by counties 
of a " county internal improvement tax for making 
and repairing roads, building courthouses, jails. 




276 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

bridges, and other internal improvements. The vote 
for this amendment was 32,774, and against it, 51,426, 
so that it was lost. This was a much-needed measure 
and its failure was a great disappointment to those 
who favored it. Good roads are the sign of a high 
civilization, and the only way to secure them is by a 
system of taxation. 

235. Temperance Laws. Before the war Arkansas 
adopted a system of prohibition on liquors known as 
the "Three Mile Law." It prohibited the sale of 
intoxicating liquors within a radius of three miles 
of certain named school houses. A very large number 
of these prohibition districts have been made and 
the area covered by them is more than one fifth of 
the state. A second prohibitory measure was the 
" Woman's Petition Law." By its provisions a major- 
ity of the adults of any township, male and female, 
were authorized to petition the county judge not to 
grant saloon licenses in any township, which petition 
was binding upon the judge. A third prohibitory 
measure was the " Local Option " vote by counties at 
each general election. The vote in each county deter- 
mines whether or not intoxicating liquors may be 
sold. At the election in 1894 forty-two counties 
voted against the sale of whiskey within their limits. 
The total vote in the state was 54,490 for license, and 
56,978 against it. The action of the state in the work 
of temperance has always been encouraging. 

236. The State Debt. Through the efforts of Thomas 
C. McRae, Congress authorized the secretary of the 
treasury and the secretary of the interior to make a 
settlement and compromise with the state of Arkan- 
sas. The legislature ia turn authorized the governor 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. i^i 

to meet the authorities designated by the government 
and to settle and compromise the claims named in the 
law. On the 23d day of February, 1895, John G. Car- 
lisle, secretary of the treasury, Hoke Smith, secretary 
of the interior, and James P. Clarke, governor of 
Arkansas, entered into an agreement in the nature 
of a compromise as follows: 

The United States agreed to surrender to the state 
of Arkansas bonds issued by the state to the Smith- 
sonian fund, and now owned by the United States, 
and amounting, principal and interest, to $1,61 1,803.61. 
The United States agreed also to allow as a credit 
upon said amount for land and money due the state 
under the authority of many laws of Congress, the 
sum of $1,451,231.61. This left a balance due the 
United States of $160,572, which the state agreed to 
pay as follows: $572 within thirty days after ratifi- 
cation, and $160,000 in bonds to be redeemed and paid 
in full by the state at their maturity, Jan. i, 1900. If 
this agreement is ratified by Congress, the debt of the 
state will be very materially reduced. This debt com- 
pared with our resources is but a trifle, but the policy 
of leaving its interest unprovided for is injurious to the 
credit and to every interest of the state. 

237. The Normal Institutes. The additional appro- 
priation made by the legislature of 1895 for the estab- 
lishment of county institutes in every county gave the 
normal method of training teachers a great impetus. 
The superintendent of public instruction, Prof. Junius 
Jordan, prepared an excellent schedule for institute 
work in 1895, and nearly five thousand teachers 
attended for the full session of one month. Schools 
were opened for both negroes and white teachers, and 



27S HIS TOR V OF A RKA XSA S. 

the enthusiasm with which they were attended shows 
that they met with the popular favor. Any law that 
tends to improve the teaching in the public schools is 
sure to be beneficial to the state. ^ 

238, The Piedmont Exposition, The citizens of Atlanta 
began in 1894 to prepare for an exposition at that city. 
They worked diligently, and on September 18, 1895, 
opened the Piedmont Exposition, which, in the beauty 
of its buildings, ranked second only to the World's 
Fair, among American expositions. The legislature of 
Arkansas made an appropriation for an exhibit, and 
committed its display and arrangement to the commis- 
sioner of mines, manufactures, and agriculture. The 
exhibit of apples was unusually large and secured an 
award. A very fine educational exhibit was also made 
by the superintendent of public instruction. 

The awards given to Arkansas at the various Ameri- 
can expositions during the last twenty years are an evi- 
dence of the industry, energy, and progressive activity 
of her citizens. The influence of expositions is ines- 
timable. They bring new ideas into the state, 
and change the opinions of non-residents concerning 
our people. The population has been trebled since 
1870, and the wealth nearly quadrupled. Every expo- 
sition unites us in thought and sentiment with the 
progressive spirit of the age, and enables us to form 
juster estimates of our standing in the world. The 
desire of the state is that its youth shall be roused by 
these competitive displays to exercise to the utmost 
limit their skill, inventive genius, and artistic power. 

I. The legislature of 1857 made the attendance of teachers upon the County- 
Normal Institutes compulsory, under penalty of forfeiture of license. The 
sessions of 1897 were attended by nearly all the teachers of the state. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS 279 

239. The Morrill Fund. In 1890 Congress applied a 
further portion of the proceeds of the public lands to 
the support of the colleges established under the Land 
Grant Act of 1862. The law provided that each state 
should receive from the United States a sum of money 
which should be increased by $1,000 per annum for a 
number of years, to be equitably divided between the 
races in the state. On April 9, 1891, the legislature 
accepted the provisions of the law and divided it as 
follows: eight elevenths of each annual appropriation 
to the Arkansas Industrial University, and three 
elevenths to the Branch Normal College at Pine Bluff. 
The receipts from this fund, called, after the congress- 
man who prepared the law, the Morrill fund, have 
been as follows: in 1890 two appropriations, respect- 
ively$i5,ooo and $16,000; 1891, $17,000; 1892, $18,000; 
1893, $19,000; 1894, $20,000; and 1895, $21,000. 
These munificent gifts have enabled both these insti- 
tutions to do better work for the students of the state. 

240. Banks and Banking Institutions. The formation 
of local banks began in 1885. Almost every county 
seat organized a bank, with a legitimate paid-up capital, 
to facilitate exchanges and meet business demands. 
About ninety of these institutions have been char- 
tered, with a total capital of about $10,000,000. 
Their management has been conservative, so that dur- 
ing the money stringency of 1893 none of them were 
forced to suspend. Only one bank has been forced 
to close its doors since the war. The First National 
Bank of Little Rock, because of speculation and mis- 
management, fell into the hands of a receiver. Many 
hundreds of small manufacturing establishments have 
been incorporated. Every part of the state is begin- 



2 So HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

ning to feel the importance of these as factors of 
development, and every town seeks to have them 
established in its vicinity. The age of capital has 
fairly begun. 

241. The Corbett-Fitzsimmons Fight. The year 1895 
will long be remembered for the effort made by Cor- 
bett and Fitzsimmons, two noted pugilists, to arrange 
for a prize fight at Hot Springs. They had advertised 
a fight at Dallas, Texas, but Gov. Culbertson inter- 
fered by calling a special session of the legislature, 
which passed a law making it a felony to engage 
in a prize fight in Texas. Then they started for 
Hot Springs, Arkansas, but here again the governor 
opposed the fight. Corbett was arrested, but was 
released by the chancery court of Hot Springs. The 
case was then taken to the supreme court of the state, 
and reversed. Notwithstanding this the pugilists per- 
sisted and arrangements were made for the fight in 
October. A company of militia was held in readiness 
and the courts were called upon to enforce the laws. 
Fitzsimmons was arrested in Miller county, as he 
entered the state, and taken to Little Rock. Corbett 
was also taken to that city, where Chancellor Martin 
granted a temporary restraining order. This enjoined 
the pugilists and their friends from engaging in the 
fight, and subjected them to punishment for contempt 
of court, in case of violation of its order. The 
judge warned them that the punishment would be an 
incarceration in jail, for no insignificant period of 
time. He further told them that they could remain 
in Arkansas as long as they pleased, but that they 
must obey the laws. This settled the matter; both 
pugilists left the state, and the excitement subsided. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 281 

242. The Southern Educational Association. This body, 
composed of the leading educators of the Southern 
states met at Hot Springs on Dec. 31, 1895, and 
remained in session three days. It was a notable gath- 
ering of nearly six hundred teachers. The national 
commissioner of education, Hon. W. T. Harris, the 
president of the National Educational Association, Mr. 
Daugherty, and six state superintendents viz., from 
Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, and 
Florida, were in attendance. City and county super- 
intendents from all over the south made it a represen- 
tative educational meeting. The Association passed 
a resolution calling on Congress to give to all states 
that had received but one section of land for common 
school purposes, another section, to equalize them with 
those that had received two. Should this resolution 
meet with success, the permanent school fund of Arkan- 
sas will be increased by more than two millions of dol- 
lars, and the authorities will be able nearly to double 
the terms of the public schools. Such measures are 
worthy of the attention of every community in the 
land. 

243, Growth of Colleges. In addition to the work of 
the state in establishing the Arkansas Industrial Uni- 
versity and the Branch Normal College at Pine Bluff, 
much has been done for the higher education of the 
state by religious institutions and by individuals. In 
1875 the Presbyterian church established Arkansas 
College at Batesville. In the same year Rev. I. L. 
Burrow established Central Collegiate Institute at 
Altus. In 1886 the Baptists opened Ouachita College 
at Arkadelphia. In 1889 Galloway Female College 
was opened by the Methodist Church South at Searcy. 



282 HISTORY OF ARfCA.VSAS. 

In the same year the name of the Altus Collegiate Col- 
lege was changed to Hendrix College, and m 1890 it 
was moved to its present location at Conway. The 
Methodists then established the Arkadelphia College 
at Arkadelphia, and Searcy College was opened at 
Searcy. Soon after this the Baptists opened the Cen- 
tral Baptist College at Conway, and the Cumberland 
Presbyterians established the Arkansas Cumberland 
College at Clarksville. Other institutions w^ere estab- 
lished at Quitman, Altus, Pea Ridge, Ozark, Mt. 
Home, and Hope. The Philander Smith College at 
Little Rock has been opened for many years to the 
negro race. These religious institutions have invested 
several hundred thousand dollars in the buildings and 
the equipments of these colleges, and have at all 
times given them a generous support. 

244. The Public Schools. Schools for the people are 
established in every part of the state. In a free 
countr)'-, where every man is a voter and a maker of 
the laws, it is necessary that there should be schools, 
that he may grow to be intelligent and virtuous. The 
constitution requires that free public schools shall 
forever be kept open for the children of the state. In 
1894 $1,339,411.16 was expended upon public edu- 
cation, or a sum equivalent to a levy of 7.6 mills 
on the total assessed valuation of all the property in 
the state. This placed Arkansas ahead of all the 
Southern states in the percentage of money expended 
for educational purposes. There were 436,335 chil- 
dren enumerated in that year, of which 285,159 were 
in school. There were 6,286 teachers, and school 
houses valued at $1,709,086. These are the schools 
for the people, and each year has added worth 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 283 

and power to their work. They are the support and 
strength of free institutions and should be loved and 
fostered by all Americans. 

245. Newspapers. In 1872 the Arkansas Press Asso- 
ciation was formed. There were fifty-six newspapers 
published in the state at that time. In 1886 there 
were 164, of which ten were dailies, 147 weeklies, two 
semi-weeklies, and five monthlies. The combined 
weekly circulation was 178,988 copies, or 7,544,669 
for the year. This was equivalent to one paper each 
week for every five inhabitants, or one for every 
voter. The average life of the newspaper is about 
two years, but the death of one marks the birth of 
another. Each year shows an increase in the number 
of '■'papers, and an improvement in their editorial 
make-up. The editors of the state are among its 
most progressive citizens. Through their aid the 
world's progress becomes known to all, and increased 
effort is stimulated on the part of the humblest citizen. 
The three greatest levers of civilization are the school, 
the railroad, and the newspaper. 

246. The Elections. At the general election in Sep- 
tember, 1896, the nominee of the Democratic party 
was elected. The Democratic canvass for governor 
was very exciting. The candidates were J. H. Harrod 
and D. W. Jones, both of Little Rock. D. W. Jones 
received the nomination. The Republicans nomi- 
nated H. L. Remmel, who was for the second time 
defeated. 

The national election in the succeeding November 
was one of the most interesting the country has ever 
witnessed. The Democratic convention at Chicago 
nominated William J. Bryan of Nebraska, upon a free 



284 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

silver platform. The Republicans at St. Louis nomi- 
nated William McKinley of Ohio, upon a gold plat- 
form. The issue was almost entirely upon the question 
whether the unit of value in the United States should 
be of a single or of a double standard. Mr. Bryan 
made a remarkable canvass, speaking daily, for months, 
in every part of the country to immense audiences, 
but he was defeated at the polls. 

One of the most prominent men in the national Con- 
gress at this time was Senator J. K. Jones of Arkansas. 
When the Wilson bill was before that body, and it 
appeared doomed to failure. Senator Jones success- 
fully undertook the difficult task of mediation. Acting 
as did Clay before him, in the interests of the whole 
country, he secured the passage of a series of amend- 
ments to the Wilson bill which insured its approval by 
the Senate, and ended a discussion which had threat- 
ened the defeat of the bill. This gave him a promi- 
nent position, not only in the eyes of his associates in 
the Senate, but in the estimation of the party 
at large. After the nomination of Bryan for the 
presidency, the convention, by an enthusiastic 
vote, elected Senator Jones chairman of the national 
Democratic committee. This was an honor to the 
man and to his state. His efficiency for leadership 
was displayed in the contest that followed. His 
defeat was regretted by the Democrats of Arkansas, 
but they were justly proud of the distinguished serv- 
ices he had rendered the nation at large. At the 
session of the legislature which followed, he was 
reelected to a seat in the Senate of the United States. 
His term will expire in 1903, and at that time he will 
have held the office for a longer period than any man 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 285 

from Arkansas, unless Senator Berry should be re- 
elected in 1901. 

The congressmen elected in 1896 were T. C. McRae, 
P. D. McCullough, W. L. Terry, J. S. Little, H. A. 
Dinsmore, and Brundige, all members of the Demo- 
cratic party. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 

DANIEL W. JONES' ADMINISTRATION, 1897 

247. The Personnel. 249. The Great Flood. 

248. The Legislature. 250. The Fort Smith Tornado. 

247. Personnel. Daniel W. Jones was born in Texas 
in 1839. In his boyhood his father removed to Wash- 
ington, Hempstead county, where Daniel received his 
education. He entered the Confederate army in 1861 
and was active in an engagement at Oak Hills. After 
this he recruited a company in the 20th Arkansas, of 
which he was made captain. He received the appoint- 
ment of colonel at Corinth, and was noted for gal- 
lantry throughout the war. 

In 1874 he was elected prosecuting attorney of his 
district, and in 1876 and 1880 was selected as elector 
on the national ticket. In 1884 he was elected attor 
ney-general of the state, and was reelected in 1886. 
While acting in this capacity, he pressed the suit of 
the state against the Iron Mountain Railroad Company 
for back taxes, and won in both state and national 
courts. He retired to the practice of law in 1888, 
until he was elected governor in 1896. 



286 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

His fellow state officers elected at this time were: 
A. C. Hull, secretary of state; Clay Sloan, auditor; 
Ransom Gulley, treasurer; E. B. Kinsworthy, attor- 
ney-general; J. F. Ritchie, land commissioner; W. G. 
Vincenheller, commissioner of mines, manufactures, 
and agriculture; and Junius Jordan, superintendent of 
public instruction. The terms of H. G. Bunn, chief 
justice, and Simon P. Hughes, associate justice of the 
supreme court expiring, they were reelected (Septem- 
ber, 1896). 

248. Legislature. The regular session of the legisla- 
ture met in January, 1897, and at the end of sixty days 
adjourned without passing the appropriation bills for 
the current expenses of the state government. Gov- 
ernor Jones issued a call in April for a special session 
to convene in May. This body, after passing the ap- 
propriation bills, enacted laws upon other questions 
named by the governor in his proclamation. 

The most important of these was the "Smith rail- 
road bill." By the provisions of this law the state 
gave one thousand acres of its forfeited lands to the 
Springfield, Little Rock, and Gulf Railroad Company 
for every mile of railroad the company should build 
within the state. This was done w4th a view to 
increasing the railroad mileage. 

Other important laws were the " Bush Bill," which 
authorized the use of convicts upon railroads to be 
built upon state account; and the law levying a tax 
of one fourth of a mill on all property of the state, 
to pay the interest on the "Permanent School" and 
the " i6th Section " funds. 

249. The Great Flood. One of the greatest floods ever 
known in the state was the overflow of the Mississippi 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 287 

river in April, 1897. Eastern Arkansas was almost 
entirely submerged, and there was great damage to 
property. The whole Mississippi valley was inun- 
dated. Relief societies were organized throughout 
the state and country to provide sustenance for the 
poorer classes that had been driven from their homes. 
Congress appropriated $100,000 for this purpose, 
besides sending boats and crews to the scene of 
danger. The levees broke above and below Helena, 
and the town of Marion was entirely submerged. 
Osceola and Helena were submerged in part. The 
railroads leading into Memphis were all washed away 
excepting the Iron Mountain Railroad. The Little 
Rock and Memphis Railroad used the track of the Iron 
Mountain Road from Forrest City to Memphis, as did 
the Kansas City, Springfield, and Memphis Railroad 
from Jonesboro. The flood subsided in the early 
part of May, in time for the farmers to plant their 
crops. 

250 The Fort Smith Tornado. On the night of Janu- 
ary II, 1898, a tornado far more disastrous than any 
ever before experienced in the state passed over Fort 
Smith, destroying a million dollars worth of property 
and killing about fifty persons. A large number of 
people were left homeless and many were seriously 
maimed and injured by the violence of the storm. 
The disaster awakened widespread public sympathy 
and speedy relief was rendered to the many sufferers 
by their more fortunate neighbors and fellow citizens. 



We have now studied the history of Arkansas from 
its discovery in 1541 to the beginning of the year 1898. 
We have seen the country in the possession of the 



288 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



Indians, the French, the Spaniards, and the Ameri- 
cans. We have followed its growth through its terri- 
torial and state development to the present time. It 
is a history of privation, industry, and enterprise. It 
shows the great struggles and the victories of the 
past, and it is hoped that it will prepare us for greater 
struggles and victories yet to come. 

Recapitulation and Review. 



Harris Flannigan. 
Isaac Murphy. 
Powell Clayton. 
Ozra Hadley. 
Elisha Baxter. 
Augustus H. Garland. 
William H. Miller. 
Thomas J. Churchill. 
James H. Berry. 
Simon P. Hughes. 
James P. Eagle. 
William M. Fishback. 
James P. Clarke. 



Under what constitutions did 
each serve ? 

What party did each belong to? 

Write a connected story with- 
out subdivisions embracing 
the matter of each chapter. 

Write a story of the period 
from i860 to 1864. 

From 1864 to 1868. 

From 1868 to 1874. 

From 1874 to the present time. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 289 



COUNTY QUESTIONS. 

When was each county formed ? What was its first 
county seat ? How many changes have been made in 
the county seat ? Where was the first settlement ? 
Name some of the early settlers. What is the oldest 
town in your county? Name all the towns. What is 
the population of your county ? Its wealth ? How 
many railroads has it? Mileage of railroads? Mileage 
of turnpikes? Name the present county officers. How 
many schools are there ? How many colleges ? Name 
the leading men in your county. Were any battles ever 
fought in your county ? Name them. What is the 
area of the county ? What part of it is in cultivation ? 
What are its chief productions ? What is the money 
value of each ? 

RECREATIONS. 

When was the first newspaper started and what 
was it ? 

What was the first railroad? The first telegraph? 
The first incorporated town? 

When was the first free book law passed ? 

What was the name of the first steamboat on the 
Mississippi? 

What was the name of the first steamboat to reach 
Little Rock? 

What was the first name given to Little Rock? 

When was the first free school law based upon taxa- 
tion passed? 

When was the first law passed giving negroes the 
right to attend school? 

HIST, OF ARK. — I9 



290 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



When did negroes obtain the legal right to 
vote? 

What was Governor Izard's idea about the word 
Arkansas? 

What telegram did Gen. Churchill receive at Arkan- 
sas Post? 

What governor resigned because his salary was too 
small? 

Who desired to convert his dwelling house into a 
statehouse? 

Who was the "gentleman from Arkansas?" The 
" gentleman from Arkansaw ? " 

Where did Governor Eagle cash the "direct tax" 
check? 

What legislator rode on horseback from Arkansas 
Post to St. Louis? 

What governor was born in Arkansas ? 

How many governors have been United States 
senators ? 

What governor went to college after he was thirty 
years of age ? 

Which governors were surveyors ? 

Which governor had the most learning? 

Which state has given Arkansas the greatest number 
of governors ? 

Which governor said, " I'll try, sir." 

What governors served two terms ? 

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW. 

In how many ways has the name Arkansas been 
spelled? What is the ordinary pronunciation ? The 
proper pronunciation ? How many counties are there 
in Arkansas ? How were their names derived ? What 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 291 

authoritative books have been written on De Soto's 
expedition ? Describe his route in Arkansas. Name 
the French governors. The Spanish governors. The 
territorial governors. The state governors. When 
did the United States acquire title to Louisiana ? 
When did it acquire possession ? What was the first 
division made in this territory ? The second ? When 
was the territory of Arkansas formed ? How many 
counties were formed while Arkansas was a part of 
Missouri? How many were formed from 1819 to 1836? 
Tell all you know of Arkansas Post. 

Give the biography of Gen. Wilkinson. Of Meri- 
wether Lewis. Of William Clark. Who was Saracen ? 
Benjamin A. Howard ? Tell about John Law. Where 
was Ft. St. Francis ? Aquixo ? Casqui ? Pacaha ? 
Quigate ? Coligoa? Cayas ? Autiamque ? Tula ? 
Describe the Pacaha village. Describe Indian life. 
Indian art. What field crops did the Indians raise ? 
Who was Bienville ? Carondelet ? Tell about the 
French republic at the mouth of the Mississippi. Tell 
about O'Reilly. 

How was the Natchez tribe exterminated ? What 
do you know about the Chickasaws ? The Quapaws ? 
The Osages ? What does Ugaqpa mean ? What does 
Omaha mean ? Tell the story of the separation of the 
Omahas from the Quapaws. 

Who was Marquette ? La Salle ? De Tonti ? Jou- 
telle ? Tell the story of Joutelle's approach to Arkan- 
sas Post. When was the post founded ? Where was 
Camp Esperance ? Tell about the Catholic mission. 
The expedition of La Harpe. Of Dunbar. Of Pike. 
Of Nutall. Is Akansa a Quapaw name ? Where was 
Mitchegamea ? Chipoutea ? Describe the Indian 



2g2 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

method of making salt. How is Hot Springs identi- 
fied in De Soto's travels ? Where were the Indian 
arrowheads made ? Name the Spanish commandants 
at the Post. At Camp Esperance. Name the two 
oldest European settlers of Arkansas. 

Give some existing proofs of French occupancy. 
Where was Ft. Assumption ? What do you know of 
the Spanish grants ? Where were the Caddos located ? 
Where is Dardani ? What town in southwestern Ar- 
kansas was started by La Harpe ? Who was Galvez ? 
What American judge resided at Arkansas Post in 
1814 ? What was Aaron Burr's scheme ? Name the 
towns in Upper Louisiana in 1806. Where was New 
Madrid ? Little Prairie ? Tell about the Osage treaty. 
The Cherokee treaty. The Quapaw treaty. Where 
did De Soto cross ? Was he ever in northwestern Ar- 
kansas ? Who was Miro ? Ulloa ? Crozat ? Where 
did De Soto winter in Arkansas ? What was the first 
county seat of Lawrence county ? Of Hempstead 
county ? What do you know of the mounds in Arkan- 
sas ? Of the novaculite quarries ? What was the treaty 
of St. Ildefonso ? 

When was Missouri territory organized ? Arkansaw 
territory ? Where was the first capital ? When was it 
moved to Little Rock ? Describe early Little Rock. 
Name some of the pioneers. Describe their life. 
Who was the first territorial governor ? The last ? 
What secretary acted as governor ? Who was Ben 
Johnson ? Chester Ashley ? A. H. Sevier ? Tell 
about Miller's arrival. About Old Dwight. About 
Washburn. Where did the first legislature meet ? 
What did it do ? Tell the story of Ralph Izard. Tell 
about John Pope. About Fulton. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 293 

How was the statehouse built ? When was the first 
constitutional convention called ? What did it do ? 
What was the population of Arkansas at that time -^ 
What objections did Congress raise ? W^hat was the 
result ? W^hen was Arkansas admitted into the Union? 
W^hat did the conventions do in 1836 ? Who were the 
candidates ? Who was elected governor ? What other 
state officers were elected ? What were the State and 
Real Estate banks ? How did the state help them ? 
What were the " Holford bonds ? " Name the state 
governors up to i860. 

How many constitutions has the state had ? When 
was each adopted ? What are their names ? What 
was the convention of 1861 ? What was it called ? 
What did it do ? 

Name the Confederate generals from Arkansas. 
Tell about the battle of Pea Ridge. Of Prairie Grove 
Of Arkansas Post. Of Helena. Tell all you know 
about the follow^ing men: Gen. Hardee; Gen. Curtis; 
Gen. Steele; Gen. Holmes; Gen. Hindman; Gen. 
McCuUough; Gen. Mcintosh; Sterling Price. Tell 
about Jenkin's Ferry. About Mark's Mill. Describe 
other battles and skirmishes. What became of the 
slaves ? Where was Gov. Yell killed ? Tell about 
Gen. Wood. What were the causes of the Mexican 
war ? The Confederate States war ? The Brooks- 
Baxter war ? 

Tell about the Mexican war. Who was Albert Pike ? 
Elias N. Conway ? Robert W^ Johnson ? W^hat did 
Governor Rector write to Cameron ? What was the 
Murphy government ? How long did it last ? W^hat 
did it do ? What government succeeded it ? Who 
was governor in 1868 ? Who succeeded him ? Name 



294. HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

all the state governors. Give the principal events of 
each administration. 

Name the state charitable institutions. The state 
colleges. The private colleges. Tell about the 
convict lease system. The Agricultural Bureau. The 
different expositions. The World's Fair. The Morrill 
fund. The i6th section. The state debt. The Fish- 
back amendment. The railroad aid and levee bonds. 
The agricultural experiment stations. The public 
schools. Temperance. How many constitutional 
amendments have been adopted? What are they ? 
Which one was voted down ? Who are the present 
state officers ? The congressional delegation ? What 
is the present state valuation ? Write a short biog- 
raphy of any governor. 



APPENDIX. 



296 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



TABLE SHOWING ARKANSAS REGIMENTS IN THE 
CONFEDERATE SERVICE.^ 



Name of Regiment. 


Colonel. 


Partial List of Battles. 


First Arkansas Infantry. 


James F. Fagan, 


Missionary Ridge, Frank- 


Confederate. 


J. W. Colquitt. 


Hn, Nashville, and others. 
Manassas, Shiloh, Chick- 
amauga, Murfreesboro, 
Chattanooga. 


First Arkansas Infantry, 


P. R. Cleburne, 


Johnson's Battles, Frank- 


State, afterwards 15th 


Col. Patton. 


lin, Nashville, Shiloh, 


Ark. Confederate. 




Richmond, Murfrees- 
boro, Chickamauga, and 
others. 


First Arkansas Mounted 


T. J. Churchill, 
D. H. Reynolds, 


Oak Hill, Murfreesboro, 


Rifles. 


Chickamauga, Franklin, 




R. W. Harper. 


Nashville, Bentonville, 
N. C, and others. 


Second Arkansas Infan- 


T. C. Hindman, 


Richmond, Perry ville, Mur- 


try. Confederate. 


D. C. Govan. 


freesboro, Chickamauga, 
and others. Part of 
Hindman's Legion. 
Pea Ridge, Oak Hill, Chick- 


Second Arkansas 


James Mcintosh, 


Mounted Rifles. 


Harris Flanagin, 


amauga, Franklin, and 




J. A. Williamson, 
J. T. Smith, 


others. 








James P. Eagle. 
W. F. Slemmons. 




Second Arkansas Cav- 


Boonville, luka, Poison 


alry. 




Spring, Pilot Knob, and 
others. 


Second Arkansas Bat- 


Bart Jones. 


Consolidated with the i8th 


talion. 




and 23d. luka, Corinth, 
Fort Pillow, where it was 
surrendered. 


Third Arkansas Infantry. 


Albert Rust, 


Chickamauga, Wilderness, 


Confederate. 


Van Manning. 


Cold Harbor, Petersburg, 
White Oak Swamp, Mal- 
vern, Sharpsburg, Fred- 
ericksburg, Gettysburg. 


Second Arkansas Infan- 


John R. Gratiot. 


Oak Hills. Disbanded in 


try. Gratiot's Reg't. 




1861 and reenlisted in 
other commands. 


Third Confederate In- 


John S. Marmaduke, 


Part of Hindman's Legion. 


fantry. 


Cameron, 


Bragg's Kentucky Ex- 




Capt. T. W. Newton. 


pedition, Shiloh. 


Third Regiment Arkan- 


De Rosey Carroll. 


Oak Hill, Mustered out in 


sas Infantry: 




1861 and reenlisted. 


Third Arkansas Cavalry. 


Solon Borland, 


Corinth, luka, Forrest's 




Gee, 


Campaign, and others. 




Earle, 






Benjamin F. Danley. 




Third Arkansas Infantry, 


David Walker. 


Oak Hill, Campaigns in 


State. 




Arkansas. 



I These tables are not absolutely correct, the records having been lost. Any 
suggestions for the correction of future editions will be gratefully received by 
the author. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 297 

TABLE SHOWING ARKANSAS REGIMENTS IN THE 
CONFEDERATE SERVICE. — Continued. 



Name of Regiment. 



Fourth Arkansas Infan- 
try. Confederate. 



Fourth Arkansas 
talion. 



Bat 



Fourth Arkansas State. 
Fifth Arkansas State. 

Fifth Cavalry. 

Fifth Arkansas Battalion. 
Sixth Arkansas Infantry, 



Seventh Arkansas Infan- 
try. 



Eighth Arkansas Infan- 
try. 



Ninth Arkansas Infantry. 



Tenth Arkansas Infantry. 

Eleventh Arkansas In- 
faatry. 



Twelfth Arkansas Infan- 
try. 

Thirteenth Arkansas In- 
fantry. 

Fourteenth Arkansas In 
fantry. 

Fifteenth Arkansas In- 
fantry. 



Colonel. 



Evander McNair, 
H. G. Bunn. 



Francis A. Terry. 



Thomas P. Dockery. 



David C. Cross, 
L. Featherston, 
John E. Murrey, 

Howell. 

R. C. Newton. 

Frank W. Desha. 
Richard Lyons, 
A. T. Hawthorne, 
Sam'l G. Smith. 



R. G. Shaver, 
D. H. Gillespie, 
Peter Snyder. 



William K. Patterson, 
John H. Kelley, 
G. F. Baucum. 

John M. Bradley, 
S. J. Mason, 
Isaac Dunlop. 



T. D. Merrick, 
A. R. Witt. 
Jabez M. Smith, 
John L. Logan. 



E. W. Gantt, 
T. J. Reid. 
J. C. Tappan, 
J. A. McNeely. 

M. C. Mitchell, 
Pleasant Fowler. 
James Gee, 
Ben. W. Johnson. 



Partial List of Battles. 



New Hope, Atlanta, Frank- 
lin, Nashville, and others. 
Elkhorn, Murfreesboro, 
Jackson, Chickamauga, 
Reseca. 

Columbus, Island No. 10, 
Murfreesboro, Corinth, 
Consolidated with 4th 
Arkansas. 

Disbanded and reenlisted 
in other commands, (igth 
Arkansas). 

Perryville, Murfreesboro, 
Franklin, Nashville, and 
others. 



Campaigns in 
and Missouri. 



Arkansas 



Murfreesboro, Franklin, 
Nashville. Consolidated 
with 7th Ark. Columbus, 
Shiloh, Corinth, Tupelo, 
Chickamauga and others, 

Shiloh, Perryville, Murfrees- 
boro, Chickamauga, Mis- 
sionary Ridge, called the 
"Bloody Seventh." In 
every battle of the Army 
of Tennessee. 

Shiloh, Bragg's Campaign, 
Chickamauga, Mission- 
ary Ridge, Johnson's bat- 
tles, Atlanta, and others. 

Shiloh, Corinth, Johnson's 
campaign, Atlanta, Nash- 
ville. The Parsons' Reg- 
iment; it had 42 Methodist 
preachers. 

Belmont, Shiloh, Port Hud- 
son, Price's campaign. 

Port Hudson, Ft. Pillow, 
luka. Island No. 10, con- 
solidated with the 17th 
Ark. 

Ft. Donelson,Port Hudson. 
Sent to Johnson's Island. 

Belmont, Shiloh, Perryville, 
Murfreesboro, Chicka- 
mauga. 

Oak Hill, Elkhorn, cam- 
paining in Arkansas. 

Columbus, Ft. Henry, Ft. 
Donelson, Port Hudson. 



2g8 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

TABLE SHOWING ARKANSAS REGIMENTS IN THE 
CONFEDERATE SERVICE. — Continued. 



Name of Regiment. 



Sixteenth Arkansas In- 
fantry. 

Seventeenth Arkansas In- 
fantry, S. W. Williams' 
Regiment. 

Seventeenth Arkansas In- 
fantry. 

Eighteenth Arkansas In- 
fantry. 



Nineteenth Arkansas In- 
fantry. 



Nineteenth Arkansas In- 
fantry. 



Twentieth Arkansas In- 
fantry. 



Twenty-first Arkansas 

Infantry. 
Twenty-first Arkansas 

Infantry. 
Twenty-second Arkansas 

Infantry. 

Twenty-third Arkansas 
Infantry. 

Twenty-fourth Arkansas 
Infantry. 



Twenty-fifth 
Infantry. 



Twenty-sixth 
Infantry. 



Arkansas 



Arkansas 



Twenty-seventh Arkan- 
sas Infantry. 

Twenty-eighth Arkansas 
Infantry. 



Twenty-ninth 
Infantry. 



Arkansas 



Colonel. 



John F. Hill, 
David Province. 

G. W. LeMoyne, 
Jordan E. Cravens. 

Frank Rector, 
John Griffith. 

D. W. Carroll, 
J. J. Daly, 
W. N. Parrish, 
Robt. H. Crockett. 
C. L. Dawson, 
A. S. Hutcheson. 

H. P. Smead, 
W. S. Dismukes, 
Thos. P. Dockery. 



George King, 
Henry P. Johnson, 
James H. Fletcher, 
Dan W. Jones. 
J. S. McCarver. 

Dandridge McRae. 

John P. King, 
Frank Rector, 
John Wallace. 
Chas. W. Adams, 
O. P. Lyles, 
A. A. Pennington. 
E. E. Portlock. 



C. J. Trumbull, 
John Hufstedler. 



Asa Morgan, 
Pitts Yell, 
I. L. Brooks. 
J. R. Shaler. 

Dandridge McRae, 
J. E. Glenn, 
J. M. Davie. 
J. C. Pleasants. 



Partial List of Battles. 



Pea Ridge, luka, Corinth, 
Port Hudson. Sent to 
Johnson's Island. 

Ft. Pillow, Corinth, consol- 
idated with the 2ist Ark. 

Elkhorn, luka, Corinth, 
Port Hudson, consoli- 
dated with the nth Ark. 

Ft. Pillow, luka, Corinth, 
Port Hudson. 



Elkhorn, Arkansas Post, 
Johnson's and Hood's 
campaigns. 

Ft. Pillow, Corinth, cap- 
tured on Black river near 
Vicksburg. Consolidated 
with Dawson's regiment 
after Arkansas Post. 

Ft. Pillow, Corinth, Vicks- 
burg, Mark's Mill, Jen- 
kin's Ferry, Poison 
Springs. 

Corinth. 

Campaigns in Arkansas. 
Called also the 15th Ark. 

Prairie Grove, Helena, Lit- 
tle Rock, Red River Ex- 
pedition. 

luka, Corinth, Port Hud- 
son, Missionary Ridge. 

Arkansas Post, Chickamau- 
ga. Missionary Ridge, 
Georgia Campaign, 

Hood's Campaign. 

Ft. Pillow, Shiloh, Rich- 
mond, Murfreesboro, 
Chickamauga. Johnson's 
and Hood's Campaigr»s. 

Prairie Grove, Mansfield, 
Jenkin's Ferry, Pleasant 
Hill. 

Consolidated with the 38th. 

Oak Hill, Elkhorn, luka. 



Campaigns in Arkansas. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



299 



TABLE SHOWING ARKANSAS REGIMENTS IN THE 
CONFEDERATE SERVICE. — Continued. 



Name of Regiment. 



Colonel. 



Thirtieth Arkansas In- 
fantry. 

Thirty-first Arkansas In- 
fantry. 

Thirty-second Arkansas 
Infantry. 

Thirty-third Arkansas In- 
fantry. 

Thirty-fourth Arkansas 
Infantry. 

Thirty-fifth Arkansas In- 
fantry. 

Thirty-eighth Arkansas 
Infantry. 

Thirty-ninth Arkansas 

Infantry. 
First Arkansas Cavalry. 



Baber's Cavalry. 
Woodruff's Artillery. 

Anderson's Battalion. 
Bell's Regiment. 
Gause's Regiment. 
Marshall's Battery. 
Dobbin's Regiment. 
Freeman's Regiment. 
McGee's Regiment. 
Rutherford's Regiment. 
Coleman's Regiment. 
Wright's Regiment. 
Carroll's Regiment. 
Gunter's Regiment. 
Crawford's Regiment. 
Thompson's Regiment. 
Hobb's Regiment. 



A. J. McNeill. 
T. H. McCray. 
C. H. Matlock. 
H. L. Grinsted. 
W. H. Brooks. 
A. T. Hawthorne. 
R. G. Shaver. 

R. A. Hart. 
James C. Monroe. 



M. D. Baber. 
W. E. Woodruff. 

W. L. Anderson. 
Sam S. Bell. 
Lucien C. Gause. 
John Marshall. 
A. S. Dobbins. 
T. R. Freeman. 

McGee. 

George Rutherford. 

Coleman. 

J. C. Wright. 
C. A. Carroll. 
T. M. Gunter. 
William Crawford. 
L. L. Thompson. 
Hobbs. 



Partial List of Battles. 



Campaigns in Arkansas. 

Richmond, Campaigns in 

Arkansas. 
Campaigns in Arkansas. 

Campaigns in Arkansas. 

Campaigns in Arkansas. 

Campaigns in Arkinsas. 

Pleasant Hill, Jenkin's Fer- 
ry. Campaigns in Ar- 
kansas. 

Campaigns in Arkansas. 

Prairie Grove, Pine Bluff, 
Elkin's Ferry, Poison 
Spring. 

Campaigns m Arkansas. 

Oak Hill, Little Rock, Hel- 
ena, Jenkin's Ferry. 

Campaigns in Arkansas. 

Campaigns in Arkansas. 

Campaigns in Arkansas. 

Campaigns in Arkansas. 

Campaigns in Arkansas. 

Campaigns in Arkansas. 

Campaigns in Arkansas. 

Campaigns in Arkansas. 

Campaigns in Arkansas. 

Campaigns in Arkansas. 

Campaigns in Arkansas. 

Campaigns in Arkansas. 

Campaigns in Arkansas. 

Campaigns in Arkansas. 

Campaigns in Arkansas. 



BATTALIONS. 
Battalion. Commander. 

Rapley's Battalion W. F. Rapley. 

Scott's Squadron J. R. H. Scott. 

Harrell's Battalion J- M. Harreli: 

Cheek's Battalion Cheek. 

McCairn's Battalion McCairn. 

Wheat's Battalion Pat. H. Wheat. 

Pfeiff er's Battalion Chas. W. Pfeiff er. 



30O HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

-^KTHMAO^S—Conthiued. 
Battalion. Commander. 

Trader's Battalion W. H. Trader 

Cook' s Battalion Cook. 

Chrisman's Battalion Chrisman. 

Witherspoon's Battalion Witherspoon. 

Venable's Cavalry Venable. 

Thomasson's Infantry S. B. Thomasson. 

2d Mounted Rifles B. T, Embry. 

Hill's Battalion Hill. 

ARTILLERY. 
Artillery. Captain. 

Blocker' s Battery W. D. Blocker. 

Etter's Battery C. B. Etter. 

West's Battery Henry C. West. 

Mill's Battery Anderson Mills. 

Clarkson's Battery Clarkson. 

Reed' s Battery Reed. 

Gaines' Battery Gaines. 

Roberts' Battery T. Roberts. 

Hart's Battery Hart. 

Humphrey's Battery J.T.Humphrey. 

Shoup's Artillery F. A. Shoup. 

McNally's Artillery Francis McNally. 

Owen's Artillery J. A. Owens. 

Stirman's Sharp Shooters. Ras. Stirman. 

Thrall's Heavy Artillery Homer Thrall. 

Appeal Artillery 

Deshler's Battery Deshler. 

Merrick's Battery Merrick. 

Logan's Battery Dogan. 

Provence's Battery Provence. 

Sims' Battery Sims. 

Young's Battery . Young. 

McCown's Artillery McCown. 

Trigg' s Artillery Trigg. 

Hubbard's Artillery Hubbard. 

McCairn's Battery McCairn. 

Helena Artillery 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 301 

LIST OF UNION REGIMENTS FORMED IN ARKANSAS. 

White Troops. 



Name. 


Colonel. 


Scene of 
Operation. 


First Arkansas Cavalry 

Second Arkansas Cavalry 

Third Arkansas Cavalry 

Fourth Arkansas Cavalry 

Fourth Ark. Mounted Infantry. 


M. Larne Harrison 

John E. Phelps 

Abraham H. Ryan 

Lafayette Gregg 

Elisha Baxter 


Organized 1862. 
Organized 1802. 
Organized 1864. 
Organized 1863. 


First Arkansas Battery 

First Arkansas Infantry 

Second Arkansas Infantry 

Fourth Regiment, i Company.. 
First Arkansas Battalion 

Cc 
Eleventh Reg't., 5 Companies.. 


Henry M. Easter 

James M. Johnson 

M. L. Stephenson 

Ira D. Bronson, Capt... 
John C. Bundy 

ilored Troops. 

James M. Steele. 

Eliphat Whittlesy 

John E. Cone 

Thomas D. Seawell 


Organized 1863. 
Organized 1863. 
Organized 1863. 

Organized 1862. 


Fifty-fourth Regiment.. 

Fifty-seventh Regiment 

One Hundred and Thirteenth 
Regiment 











Total colored troops 5,526. 



SENATORS IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF 
ARKANSAS. 

CLASS I. 

A. H. Sevier (resigned), 1836 to Charles B. Mitchel, 1861.^ 

1846. B. F. Rice, 1868 to 1873. 

Soland Borland (resigned), 1848 S. W. Dorsey, 1873 to 1879. 

to 1855. J. D. Walker, 1879 to 1885. 

R. W. Johnson, 1855 to 1861. J. K. Jones, 1885 to 1897. 

CLASS II. 

W. S. Fulton (died), 1836 to Chester Ashley (died), 1844 to 
1841 1848. 

I. Mitchel was elected for the term ending March 4, 1867, but did not occupy 
his seat after the secession of the state. 



302 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



W. K. Sebastian,^ 1847 to 1865. 

,"^ 1865 to 1868. 

Alex. McDonald, 1868 to 1871. 



Powell Clayton, 1871 to 1877. 
A. H. Garland, 1877 to 1889.2 
J. H. Berry, 1885 to 1901.'* 



During the first session of the (Murphy) legislature of 1864, 
Elisha Baxter, on May 2, 1864, W. M. Fishback on May 5, and 
W. D. Snow on December 30, were respectively elected to the 
Senate for the terms ending March 4, 1865, and March 4, 1867. 
None of them were admitted. 

Charles B. Mitchel and Robert W. Johnson, in 1862, were 
elected Confederate states senators and served as such. Mitchel 
died September 18, 1864, and A. H. Garland was elected to fill 
the vacancy. Johnson and Garland served until the fall of 
the Confederacy. 

John T. Jones and Andrew Hunter were elected senators by 
the legislature of 1866 ; Hunter resigned and A. H. Garland was 
elected. All were denied admission to the Senate. 



REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS FROM ARKANSAS. 



Representatives. 


A 

(5 


i 

M 

u) 


Year. 


TERRITORIAL. 

James W. Bates (seat contested by the famous 
senator, Matthew Lyon. Lyon died before the 
issue was decided ) 




16 and 17 

18, 19, 20 

21, 22, 23, 2^ 

25 

26, 27, 28 

2g 


i8^o to 182 X 






1823 to 1829 
1829 to 1836 

1836 to 1839 






STATE. 
Archibald Yell 


I 
I 




Archibald Yell (resigned) 


1845 to 1847 



1. W. K. Sebastian was expelled from the United States Senate because of 
his sympathy for the South in 1861. In 1878 the resolution of expulsion was 
reversed by the Senate. Sebastian was elected for the term ending March 4, 
1865, but did not occupy his seat after the winter session of 1860-61. 

2. Both seats were unoccupied or vacant for the remainder of the terms of 
Sebastian and Mitchel after March 4, 1861. 

3. Appointed attorney-general for the United States. 

4. Elected to fill Garland's unexpired term. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 303 

REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS — C^wY/wwe-^/. 



Representative. 



Thomas W. Newton (z/zV^ Yell) ' 

Robert W. Johnson 

A. B. Greenwood 

E. A. Warren. 

A. B. Greenwood 

Albert Rust 

A. B. Greenwood 

E. A. Warren 

Thomas C. Hindman 

Albert Rust - - 

T. C. Hindman (the Civil War prevented his tak- 
ing his seat) 

E. W. Gantt (the Civil War prevented his taking 
his seat) 

Vacant 

Vacant 

Vacant 

William Byers (never admitted in Congress) 

G. H. Kyle (never admitted in Congress).. 

J. M. Johnson (never admitted in Congress) 

Logan H. Roots 

James Hinds (died) 

J. T. Elliott {vice Hinds) 

Thomas Boles 

Logan H. Roots 

A. A. C. Rogers (seat contested by J. T. Elliott). 

Thomas Boles 

O. P. Snyder 

John Edwards (contested) 

Thomas Boles {vice Edwards, ousted) 

J. M. Hanks 

Asa Hodges (contested by L. C. Gause)... 

O. P. Snyder (seat contested by M. L. Bell) 

W. W. Wilshire (ousted by T. M. Gunter, con- 
testant) 

W. J. Hynes (seat contested by J. M. Bradley, at 
large) 

L. C. Gause 

W. F. Slemons 

W. W. Wilshire 

T. M. Gunter 

L. C. Gause 

W. F. Slemons -- 

J . E. Cravens 

T. M. Gunter 

Poindexter Dunn 

W. F. Slemons 

J. E. Cravens 

T. M. Gunter 

Poindexter Dunn 

James K. Jones 

J. E. Cravens 




847 

847 to 1853 
853 to 1855 
853 to 1855 
855 to 1857 
855 to 1857 
857 to 1859 
857 to 1859 
859 to 1861 
859 to 1861 

861 to 1863 

861 to 1863 
863 to 1865 
863 to 186.S 
863 to 1865 
865 to 1867 
865 to 1867 
865 to 1867 
867 to 1869 
867 to 1869 

869 

867 to 1869 
869 to 1871 
869 to 1871 
869 to 1871 
871 to 1873 
871 to 1873 
871 to 1873 
871 to 1873 
873 to 1875 
873 to 1875 

873 to 1875 

873 to 1875 
875 to 1877 
875 to 1877 
875 to 1877 
875 to 
877 to 
877 to 
877 to 
877 to 
879 to 
879 to 
879 to 1881 
879 to 1881 
881 to 1883 
881 to 1883 
881 to 1883 



1877 
1879 
1879 
1879 
1879 
IS8I 
I88I 



304 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS— O^/z/Z^w^^. 



Representatives, 



T. M. Gunter 

Poindexter Dunn 

James K. Jones 

John H. Rogers 

Sam W. Peel 

C. R. Breckinridge, state at large 

Poindexter Dunn 

C. R. Breckinridge - -. 

J. K. Jones- -.- 

J. H. Rogers 

S. W. Peel 

T. C. McRae (in place of J. K. Jones, elected to 
Senate of United States) - 

Poindexter Dunn 

C. R. Breckinridge 

T. C. McRae 

J. H. Rogers. 

S. W. Peel 

W. H. Gate (ousted by L. P. Featherston) I 

L. P. Featherston. f 

C. R. Breckinridge (seat declared vacant by Con 
gress in September, 1890, and C. R. Breckin- 
ridge was reelected for the vacancy) 

T. C. McRae 

J. H. Rogers 

S. VV. Peel 

S. W. Peel - 

C. R. Breckinridge 

W. H. Gate 

T. G. McRae 

W. L. Terry 

P. D. McGulloch 

G. R. Breckinridge 

T. G. McRae 

W. L. Terry 

Hugh A. Dinsmore 

Robert Neill 

J. S. Little 

S. Brundridge. 



51 

51 
SI 
51 
52 
52 
52 
52 
52 

52, 54, 55 

53 
53i 54, 55 
53i 54, 55 

53, 54, 55 

53, 54 

54, 55 
55 



Year. 



881 to 1883 
883 to 1885 
883 to 1885 
883 to 1885 
883 to 1885 
883 to 1885 
885 to 1887 
885 to 1887 
885 to 1887 
885 to 1887 
885 to 1887 

885 to 1887 
887 to 1889 
887 to 1889 
887 to 1889 
887 to 1889 
887 to 1889 

889 to 1891 



1889 
1889 
I89I 
I89I 



1893 
1893 
1893 
1893 
1893 
1893 
1895 
1897 



to 1891 
to 1891 
to 1891 
to 1891 
to 1893 
to 1893 
to 1893 
to 1893 
to 1893 

to 

to 1895 

to 

to 

to 

to 1897 

to 

to 



On May 10, 1861, R. W. Johnson, A. H. Garland, H. F. Thomas, Albert Rust 
and W. W. Watkins, were elected delegates to the Provisional Confederate 
Congress at Montgomery, Ala. At the general election of 1862, the following 
representatives to the 'Confederate Congress at Richmond were chosen : 
Thomas B. Hanley, first district ; G. D. Royston, second district ; A. H. Gar- 
land, third district ; F. I. Batson, fourth district. At the general election, 
1864, the following representatives to the Confederate Congress at Richmond 
were chosen : Thomas B. Hanlev, first district : R. K. Garland, second dis- 
trict ; A. H. Garland, third district (resigned), D. W. Carroll, vice A. H. Gar- 
land ; F. I. Batson, fourth district. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 
GOVERNORS OF ARKANSAS. 



305 



Name of 

Governor. 




w 

s 

'0 

App'nted 
App'nted 
App'nted 
App'nted 

1836 

1840 

Acting j 

1844 

Acting j 

Acting -j 

1849 

Acting .. 
Acting .- 

1852 

1856 

i860 

Acting ] 

1862 

1864 

1868 

Acting .. 

1872 

1874 

1876 

1880^!"" 
1882 

Acting j 

1884 

Acting -- 


h 

"0. 

I 


si 

U; 

c 


1^ 

11 

CQ 


ii 




TERRITORIAL, 

James Miller 

George Izard 


Mar. 3, 1819-. 
Mar. 4, 1825.. 










John Pope 


Mar. 9, 1829. 










William Fulton 


Mar. 9, 1835.. 










STATE. 

James S. Conway . 
Archibald Yell .... 


Sept, 13, 1836 
Nov. 4, 1840.. 
From Apr. 29 
to Nov. 9, 1844 
Nov. 5, 1844- - 
From Apr. 9 
to May 7, '46 
From Jan. u 
to Apr. 19, '49 
Apr. 19, 1849. 
1849 


4 years.. - 
4 years... 


Dem. .. 
Dem. .. 


1,102 M 


7,716 


Samuel Adams 








Thos. S. Drew 

John Williamson .- 


5 years--. 


Dem. -. 


1,731 P 


17,387 


Richard C. Byrd.. 










John S. Roane 

Richard C. Byrd.. 
John R. Hampton. 
Elias N. Conway . . 

E. N. Conway 

Henry M. Rector- 

Thos. Fletcher .... 


Sp. El't'n 


Dem. .- 


163 


6,809 


1851 










Nov. 15, 1852. 
Nov. 17, 1856. 
Nov. 16, 1860- 
From Nov. 4 
to Nov. 15, '62 
Nov. 15, 1862. 
Apr. 18, 1864. 
July 2, 1868 .- 
Jan. 17, 1871.. 
Jan. 6, 1873.. 
Nov. 12, 1874- 
Jan. II, 1877.. 
Jan. 17, 1879.- 
Jan. 13, 1881-- 
Jan. 13, 1883.. 
From Sept. 25 
to Sept. 30, '83 
Jan. 17, 1885 -- 


4 years.. - 
4 years... 
2 years.-. 


Dem. .- 
Dem. .. 
I. Dem. 

Confed. 
Confed. 
Federal 
Rep. . 
Rep. .. 


2,027 
12,363 
2,461 

10,012 


27.8^7 
42,861 
61,198 


Harris Flannigan . 

Isaac Murphy 

Powell Clayton ... 
Ozra A. Hadley ... 


3 years-.. 

4 years... 
4 years.. - 
2 years . . 
2 years . . - 
2 years... 
2 years- . . 
2 years.-. 
2 years-.. 
2 years... 

2 years.. - 


26,266 


Elisha Baxter 

Aug. H. Garland .. 
Wm. R. Miller.... 
Wm. R. Miller.... 
Thos. J. Churchill 
James H. Berry. .. 

Ben T. Embry . . . 

Simon P. Hughes. 
John W. Stayton .. 


Rep. .. 
Dem. .. 
Dem. .. 
Dem. .. 
Dem. .. 
Dem. .. 

Dem. .. 


2,948 
76,453 

§o'^'5 

88,730 
52,761 

28,481 

45,236 


80,721 

108,683 

115,619 
147,169 

156,310 


Simon P. Hughes - 
D. E. Barker 


1886 




2 years . . 


Dem. .- 


17,411 p 


163,889 






James P. Eagle 

James P. Eagle 

C. C. Hamby 


1888 

1890 

Acting .. 

1892 

Acting .. 

1894 

1896 


January 

January 

1892 


2 years... 
2 years... 


Dem. .. 
Dem. .. 


15,006 
21,086 


187,397 
191,448 


Wm. M. Fishback. 
Clay Sloan 


January 


2 years... 


Dem. -. 


56,071 P 


156,186 


James P. Clarke.. - 
Daniel W. Jones... 


. anuary 

. anuary, 1897 


2 years- 
2 years . 


Dem. .. 
Dem... 


48,724 p 
55,278 


126,986 
149,347 



HIST, OF ARK. 



3o6 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



SECRETARIES OF STATE. 



Robert A. Watkins Sept. i6, 1836, to Nov. 12, 1840. 

D. B. Greer Nov. 12, 1S40, to May 9, 1842. 

John Winfrey May 9 to Aug. 9, 1842, acting. 

D. B. Greer . . Aug. 9, 1842, to Sep. 3, 1859, died 

Alex Boileau Sept. 3, 1859, ^o Jan, 21, 1860. 

S. M. Weaver Jan. 21, i860, to Mar. 20, i860. 

John I. Stirman Mar. 24, i860, to Nov. 13, 1862. 

O. H. Gates Nov. 13, 1862, to Apr. 18, 1864. 

Robert J. T. White, provisional from Jan. 24 to April 19, 1864, 

and from then to Jan. 6, 1873. 

J. M. Johnson Jan. 6, 1873, to Nov. 12, 1874. 

B. B. Beavers Nov. 12, 1874, to Jan. 17, 1879. 

Jacob Frolich Jan. 17, 1879, to Jan. 1885. 

E. B. Moore Jan. 1885, to Jan. 1889. 

B. B. Chism Jan. 1889, to Jan. 1891. 

B. B. Chism Jan. 1891, to Jan. 1893. 

H. B. Armistead Jan. 1893, to Jan. 1897. 

A. C. Hull Jan. 1897, to 



AUDITORS OF STATE. 

Elias N. Conway Oct. i, 1836, to May 17, 1841. 

A. Boileau May 17, 1841, to July 5, 1841, acting 

Elias N. Conway July 5, 1841, to Jan. 3, 1849. 

C. C. Danley. Jan. 3, 1849, to Sept. 16, 1854, resig'd 

W. R. Miller Sept. 16, 1S54. to Jan. 23, 1855. 

A. S. Huey Jan. 23, 1S55, to Jan. 23, 1857. 

W. R. Miller Jan. 23, 1857, to March 5, i860. 

H. C. Lowe Mar. 5, i860, to Jan. 24, 1861, acting 

W. R. Miller Jan. 24, 1861, to Apr. 18, 1864. 

J. R. Berrv Apr. 18, 1864, to Oct. 15, 1866. 

W. R. Miller Oct. 15, 1866, to July 2, 1868. 

J. R. Berry July 2, 1868, to Jan. 6, 1873. 

Stephen Wheeler Jan. 6, 1873, to Nov. 12, 1-874. 

W. R. Miller Nov. 12, 1874, to Jan. 11, 1877. 

John Crawford Jan. 11, 1877, to Jan. 17, 1883, 

A. W. Files Tan., 1883. to Jan., 18S7. 

W. R. Miller (died in oTice), Jan.. 1887, to Nov., 1887. 

W. S. Dunlop App't'd Nov. 30, 1887, to Jan., 1889. 

W. S. Dunlop Jan., 1889, to Jan., 1893. 

C. B. Mills Jan., 1893, to Jan., 1895. 

C. B. Mills Jan., 1895, to Jan.. 1897. 

Clay Sloan Jan. 1897, to 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 307 

TREASURERS OF ARKANSAS. 

William E. Woodruff Oct. 1, 1836, to Nov. 20, 1838. 

John Hutt Nov. 20, 1838, to Feb. 2, 1843. 

J. C. Martin Feb. 2. 1843, to Jan. 4, 1845. 

Samuel Adams Jan. 4, 1845, to Jan. 2, 1849. 

William Adams Jan. 2, 1849, to Jan, 10, 1849. 

John H. Crease Jan. 10, 1849, to Jan. 26, 1855. 

A. H. Rutherford Jan. 27, 1855, to Feb. 2, 1857. 

John H. Crease Feb. 2, 1857, to Feb. 2, 1859. 

John Quindley Feb. 2, 1859, to Dec. 13, i860, died, 

Jared C. Martin Dec. 13, i860, to Feb. 2, 1861. 

Oliver Basham Feb. 2, 1861, to Apr. 18, 1864. 

E. D. Ayres Apr. 18, 186;, to Oct. 15, 1866. 

L. B. Cunningham, Oct. 15, 1866, to Aug. 18, 1867, removed by 

military. 
Henry Page, Aug. 19, 1867 (military appointment). Elected 
1868, to May 29, 1874 ; resigned. 

R. C. Newton May 23, 1874, to Nov. 12, 1874. 

T. J. Churchill Nov. 12, 1874, to Jan. 12, 1881. 

W. E. Woodruff, Jr Jan. 12, 1881, to Jan., 1891. 

B. B. Morrow Jan., 1891, to Jan., 1895. 

Ransom Gulley, Jan., 1895, to 



ATTORNEYS-GENERAL OF THE STATE. 

Robert W. Johnson 1843. 

George C. Watkins Oct. i, 1848. 

J . J. Clendennin Feb. 7, 1851. 

Thomas Johnson Sept. 8, 1856. 

J. L. Hollowell Sept. 8, 1858. 

P. Jordan Sept. 7, i86r. 

Sam W. Williams 1862. 

C. T. Jordan 1864. 

R. S. Gantt Jan. 31, 1865. 

R. H. Deadman Oct. 15, 1866. 

|. R. Montgomery July 21, 1868. 

T. D. W. Yonley Jan. 8, 1873. 

J. L. Witherspoon May 22, 1874. 

S P. Hughes Nov. 12, 1873, to 1876. 

W. F. Henderson Jan. 11, 1877, to 1881. 

C. B Moore Jan. 12, 1881, to 1885. 

D. W. Jones Jan., 1885, to 1889. 

W E. Atkinson -. Jan., 1889, to 1891. 

W. E. Atkinson Jan., 1891, to 1893. 

J. P. Clarke , Jan., 1893, to Jan., 1895. 

E. B. Kinsworthy Jan. 1S95, to 



3o8 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

COMMISSIONERS OF IMMIGRATION AND STATE 
LANDS. 

J. M. Lewis July 2, 1868. 

W. H. Grey October 15, 1872, 

J. N. Smithee . June 5, 1874. 



SUCCEEDED BY COMMISSIONERS OF STATE LANDS. 

J. N. Smithee Nov. 12, 1874, to Nov. 18, 1878 

D. W. Lear Oct. 21, 1878, to Nov., 1882. 

W. P. Campbell Oct. 30, 1882, to Mar. 31, 1884. 

P. M. Cobbs (died in office) Mar. 3r, 1884, to Oct. 30, 1890. 

C. B. Myers Appointed April 24, 1890. 

C. B. Myers Elected Sept. i, i8gi, to 1893. 

C. B. Myers Elected Sept. 5, 1892, to 



SUPERINTENDENTS OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION. 

Thomas Smith 1868 to 1873. 

J. C. Corbin July 6, 1873. 

G. W. Hill Dec. 18, 1875, to Oct., 1878. 

J. L. Denton Oct. 13, 1878, to Oct. 11, 1882. 

Dunbar H. Pope Oct. 11 to Oct. 30, 1882. 

W. E. Thompson Oct. 20. 1882. to Oct. 30, 1890. 

J. H Shinn Oct. 30, 1890, to Oct. 30, 1892. 

J. H. Shinn Oct. 31, 1892, to Oct. 30. 1894. 

Junius Jordan Oct. 31, 1894, to . 



COMMISSIONERS OF MINES, MANUFACTURES, 
AND AGRICULTURE. 

M. F. Locke Appointed January, 1889. 

M. F. Locke Elected Sept. i, 1890, to i8g2. 

John D. Adams ^ Elected September 5, 1892. 

George M. Chapline^ Appointed December 7, 1892. 

W. G. Vincenheller Appointed March 11, 1893. 

W. G. Vincenheller Elected September 3, 1894. 



1. Died December 7, 1892. 

2. Resig-ned March 10, 18^3. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



309 



SUPREME COURT, STATE OF ARKANSAS. 
CHIEF JUSTICES. 



Daniel Ringo, 1836. 
Thomas Johnson, 1844. 
George C. Watkins, 1852.'* 
E. H. English, 1854.2 
T. D. W. Yonley, 1864. ^ 
E. Baxter, 1864.2 



David Walker, iSGe.'i 
W. W. Wilshire, iSbs.-* ^ 
John McCTure, 1871^ ^ 
E. H. English, 1874.'' 
S. R. Cockrill, 1884. "^ 
H. G. Bunn, May 3, 1893. 



ASSOCIATE JUSTICES. 



Thomas J. Lacey, 1836. 

Townsend Dickinson, 1S36. 

George W. Paschal, 1842. 

W. K. Sebastian, 1843. 

W. S. Oldham, 1845. 

Edward Cross, 1845. 

Wm. Conway, B., 1846. 

C. C. Scott, 1848. 

David Walker, 1847 and 1874. 

Thomas B. Hanley, 1858. ' 

F. I. Batson, 1858.1 

H. M. Rector, 1859.1 

F. W. Compton, 1859.^ '•' 

H. F. Fairchild, 1860.8 -i 

Albert Pike, 1864.2 

J. J. Clendennin, 1866.^ 

T. M. Bowen, 18684 



L. Gregg, 1868. ^ 

J. E. Bennett, 1871.3 

M. L. Stephenson, 1872. ^ 

E. J. Searle, 1872.:}: ^ 

W. M. Harrison, 1874. 

J. T. Bearden, 1874.8 

Jesse Turner, 1878. 

J. R. Eakin, 1878. 

W. W. Smith, 1882. 

B. B. Battle, 1885 i^ arid 1894. 
M. H. Sandels, 1889, 1890.** " 
W. E. Hemingway, 1889. 1893. '^ 
S. P. Hughes, 1889. 

W .W. Mansfield, 1891.1^ 

C. D, Wood, 1893-1900. 
J. E. Riddick, 1894-1902, 



Albert Pike. 
E. H. English. 
L. E. Barber. 
N. W. Cox. 
J. M. Moore. 



REPORTERS FROM 1836 TO 



B. D. Turner. 

W. W. Mansfield, appointed 

1887. 
T. D. Crawford, appointed 

1890. 



4 Ousted by Gen. C. H. Smith, military commander sub-distnct Arkansas, 
under reconstruction acts. 3. Under Murphy Constitution of 1864. 5. Constitu- 
tion of 1868. 3. Resigned. 6. Removed. 9. Appomted. 8. Died. 2. Also 
Confederate. 7. Died, 1884. Reelected, n. Reelected September i, 1890, 
and died November 12, 1890. M. H. Sandels elected April 2, 1889, to till va- 
cancy caused by death of W. W. Smith. Hemingway and Hughes elected 
under act of General Assembly, 1889, increasing the court to live members. 
W. W. Mansfield elected January 26, 1891, to fill vacancy caused by death of M. 
H. Sandels. 14. Resigned May i, 18^3. H. G. Bunn appointed to fill vacancy. 
12. Resigned May 9, 1894. R. H. Powell appointed to fill vacancy. C. D. 
Wood elected at special election September 19, 1893, to fill unexpired term of 
W. E. Hemingway. 13. Resigned. J. E. Riddick appointed to fill vacancy, 
and elected September 3, 1894. 



3IO 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



CLERKS. 



H. Haralson. 
L. E. Barber. 
N. W. Cox. 



L. E. Barber. W. P. Campbell, 
P. D. English. 



SPECIAL CHIEF JUSTICES. 



Wm. Story. 

F. W. Compton. 
Thomas Johnson 
S. H. Hempstead. 
C. B. Moore. 

B. B. Battle. 
R. A. Howard. 
George A. Gallagher. 
A. B. Williams. 
Sam W. Williams. 
Isaac Strain. 
N. Haggard. 

G. N. Causin. 
R. C. S. Brown. 



L. A. Pindall. 
Edward Cross. 
George Conway. 
Sacfield Maclinin. 
Sam C. Roane. 
C. C. Farrelly. 
W. W. Smith. 
John Whytock. 
H. B. Morse. 
B. D. Turner. 
W. I. Warwick. 
J. L. Witherspoon, 
S. H, Harrington. 
George W. Caruth. 



CHANCELLOR'S PULASKI CHANCERY COURT. 

J. R. Eakin, November 6, 1874, 
to 1878. 

November, 1878, 



H. F. Fairchild, July 30, 1855. 
U. M. Rose, July 2, i860. 
L. Gregg, November 25, 1865. 
W. I. Warwick, April 28, 1873. 
T. D. W. Yonley, February 12 
1877. 



R. Eakin, 

to 1878. 
D. W. Carroll, 

to 1886. 
D. W. Carroll, appointed 1886, 

for four years. 
D. W. Carroll, elected in 1890. 



CLERKS. 



A. J. Smith. 
W. H. Bevens. 
E. C. Bronough. 
Gordon N. Peay. 
'Wm. Hunter. 
D. P. Upham. 



J. W. Callaway, October 31, 
1876. to October, 1886. 

S. R. Brown, October, 1886, to 
i8go. 

I. J. Hicks, October 30, 1890, to 
l8q2. 



A. R. Witt, November 2, 1874, I- J- Hicks October 30, 1892, to 
to 1876. 1894. 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 
MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS. 



311 



Town and City. 



Alexandra 

Alma - - 

Arkadelphia --- 

Arkansas City 

Atkins 

Augusta - - - 

Bald Knob. 

Batesville 

Beebe - 

Bellfonte --- 

Benton 

Bentonville .-. 

Berlin 

Perry ville 

Black Rock 

Blanchard Springs 

Bloomfield 

Booneville 

Brinkley 

Camden - -.. 

Carlisle 

Cedarville 

Center Point 

Charleston 

Clarendon - 

Clarksville - 

Clinton 

Coal Hill -- 

Conway 

Corning. 

Cotton Plant 

Dallas 

Dardanelle 

Des Arc 

DeVall's Bluff 

De Witt 

Dover 

El Dorado 

El Dorado Springs 

Eureka Springs, (first-class) 
Evening Shade 

Fayetteville, (second-class) . 

Fordyce 

Forrest City 



Pulaski 

Crawford 

Clark 

Desha 

Pope 

Woodruff 

White 

Independence 

White 

Boone .. 

Saline 

Benton 

Johnson 

Carroll 

Lawrence 

Union 

Benton 

Logan 

Monroe . . 

Ouachita 

Prairie 

Crawford 

Howard 

Franklin 

Monroe 

Johnson 

Van Buren... 

Johnson 

Faulkner 

Clay... 

Woodruff 

Polk. 

Yell 

Prairie 

Prairie 

Arkansas 

Pope 

Union 

Benton 

Carroll 

Sharp 

Washington . 

Dallas 

St. Francis . . 



When Incorporated. 



February 9, 1888. 

January 7, 1874. 

January 6, 1857. 

See Supreme Court decision. 

October 23, 1876. 

January i^ 1861. 

August 20, 1881. 

December 20, 1848. 

April 15, 1875. 

July I, 1872. 

December 24, 1S48 ; renewed 

April 10, 1875. 
January 10, 1849; renewed 

February 12, 1873. 
February 7, 1888. 
March 11, 1876. 
October 7, 1884. 
March 7, 1882. 
Surrendered charter October 

29, 1884. 
May 17, 1878. 
August 6, 1872. 

December 11, 1844. 
July I, 1878. 
July 5, 1881. 

February 21, 1859; reincorpo- 
rated May 19, 1879. 
April 8, 1874. 

Charter extended Feb. 5, 1859. 

August II, 1879. 

January 8, 1880. 

October 9, 1878. 

August 3, 1873. 

November 14, 1887. 

July 7, 1879. 
July 17, 1875. 
December 28, 1854. 
February 21, 1867. 
December 17, 1875. 
Dec. 31, 1852 ; reincorporated 
April, 1870. 

Jan. 9, 1851 ; reincorporated 

April 6, 1870. 
August 10, 1840. 
February 14, 1880. 
March 21, 1870. 

Nov. 3, 1836 ; reincorporated 

Aug. 23, 1870. 
July I, 1884. 
May II, 1871. 



312 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS— Continued. 



Town and City. 



Fort Smitii, (second-class) 

Fulton 

Gainesville 

Garfield 

Goldman 

Greenbrier 

Greenway 

Greenwood 

Gurdon 

Hamburg 

Harrisburg 

Harrison 

Hazen -- 

Helena, (first-class) 

Holly Grove 

Hope 

Hot Springs, (first-class). . 

Hoxie 

Huntington 

Huntsville 

Indian Bay 

Jacksonport 

Jonesboro 

J udsonia 

Kingsland 

Lamar 

Little Rock, (first-class).. 

Locksburg 

Lonoke 

Magazine 

Magnolia 

Malvern 

Mansfield 

Marianna 

Marion 

Marshall 

McNeil 

Melbourne 

Mineral Springs , 

Monticello 

Mornlton 

Mountain Home 

Mt. Ida 

Mt. Vernon 

Mulberry 

Murfreesboro. 



County. 


When Incorporated. 


Sebastian 


Jan. II, 1851 ; reincorporated 

May II, 1879. 
November 10, 1879. 


Hempstead ... 


Greene 


February 21, 1859. 


Benton 


September 13, 1888. 


Arkansas 


February 23, 1887. 


Faulkner 


April 5, 1881. 


Clay 


March 13, 1886. 


Sebastian 


November 22, 1850. 


Clark 


November 8, 1880. 


Ashley 


December 14, 1854. 


Poinsett 


January 16, 1883. 


Boone 


Febuary 4, 1876. 


Prairie 


July 8, 1884. 


Phillips 


December 5, 1856. 


Monroe 


July 25, 1876. 


Hempstead ... 


November 25, 1875. 


Garland 


Jan. 10, 1851 ; reincorporated 




April 5, 1876. 


Lawrence 


February 15, 1888. 


Sebastian 


February 4, 1888. 


Madison 


November 3, 1877. 


Monroe 


April 18, 1876. 


Jackson 


December 17, 1852, 


Craighead 


February 2, 1883. 


White 


April I, 1872. 


Dorsey 


July 22, 1884. 


Johnson 

Pulaski 


May 19, 1887. 


November 2, 1832. 


Sevier 


September 22, 1878. 


Lonoke 


April 16, 1873. 


Logan.- 


February 18, 1878. 


Columbia 


January 6, 1855. 


Hot Springs.. 


July 5, 1883. 


Sebastian 


August 29, 1888. 


Lee 


August 7, 1877; reincorporated 


Crittenden.... 


July 5, 1883. 


Searcy 


une 13, 1884. 


Columbia 


February 12, 1884. 


Izard 


May 4, 1878. 


Howard 


May 19, 1879. 


Drew 


December 20. 1852. 


Conway 


November 10, 1879 


Ba.xter 


April 16, 1S88. 


Montgomery 


December, 1854. 


Faulkner 


July I, 1878. 


Franklin 


September 11, 1880. 


Pike 





HISTORY OF ARKANSAS 
MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS— Continued. 



313 



Town and City. 



Nashville 

National Springs 

Nebo 

Newport 

Osceola 

Ozan 

Ozark 

Paragould 

Paragould. 

Paris 

Perry villa - 

Pine Bluff...- 

Plummerville 

Pocahontas 

Popular Grove 

Portia 

Prairie Grove 

Prescott 

Quitman 

Ravenden 

Rector 

Reyno 

Richmond 

Rogers 

Russellville - 

Saratoga 

Searcy 

Sheridan 

Siloam Springs (2d class) 

Springdale 

Star City 

St. Francis 

Sulphur Rock 

Texarkana 

Toledo 

Van Buren 

Waldron 

Walnut Ridge 

Warren 

Washington 

West Point.. 

Wittsburg 

Woodson 

YellviUe 



Howard 

Logan 

Benton 

Jackson 

Mississippi 

Hempstead ... 
Franklin 

Greene 

Greene 

Logan 

Perry 

Jefferson . 

Conway 

Randolph 

Phillips 

Lawrence 

Washington . . 
Nevada 

Van Buren ... 

Randolph 

Clay 

Randolph 

Little River . . 

Benton 

Pope 

Howard 

White 

Grant 

Benton 

Washington . . 

Lincoln 

Clay 

Independence 

Miller 

Dorsey 

Crawford 

Scott 

Lawrence — 
Bradley 

Hempstead .. 

White 

Cross 

Saline 

Marion 



When Incorporated. 



October 18, 1883. 
July I, 1881. 
August 12, 1887. 
August 30, 1883. 

Jan. 12, 1843, and Oct. 4, 1875. 
July 25, 1888. 

Jan. 10, i8ss ; reincorporated 
Sept. 18, 1869. 

March 3, 1883. 
August 25, 1888. 
February 8, 1879. 
December 5, 1878. 
December 12, 1848. 
October 14, 1880. 
January 15, 1857, 
October 6, 1874. 

July 25, 1888. 
March 25, 1878. 

May 14, 1881. 

August IS, 1881. 
September 13, 1887. 
October 18, 1886. 
May 7, 1880. 
May 28, 1881. 



August II, 1888. 

December 24, 1852, and March 

18, 1867. 
August 26, 1887. 
May 25, 1881. 
June 27, 1879. 
April 6, 1876. 
August 4, 1888. 
August 20, 1887. 

August 10, 1880. 
May 10, 1879. 

December 24, 1846. 

November 5, 1875. 

August 31, 1881. 

Feb. 5, "1859; reincorporated 

April 8, 1880. 
Jan. 8, 1849 ; reincorporated 

Nov. 25 1880. 
February 21, 1859. 
Feb. 25, 1859, and July 27, 1878. 
January 3, 1882. 

April 30, 1872. 



314 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 



POPULATION OF ARKANSAS. 

The following summary shows the population of each county accord- 
ing to the censuses of i8go and 1880^ together with the increase in 
number and per cent during the decade. 

SUMMARY BY COUNTIES. 



Counties. 



The State. 

Arkansas 

Ashley 

Baxter 

Benton 

Boone 

Bradley 

Calhoun 

Carroll 

Chicot 

Clark. 

Clay. 

Cleburne 

Cleveland 

Columbia 

Conway 

Craighead 

Crawford 

Crittenden .. 

Cross , 

Dallas 

Desha 

Drew 

Faulkner 

Franklin 

Fulton 

Garland 

Grant 

Greene 

Hempstead .. 
Hot Spring .. 

Howard 

Independence 

Izard 

Jackson 

Jefferson 

Johnson 

Lafayette ... 

Lawrence 

Lee 

Lincoln 

Little River.. 

Logan 

Lonoke 

Madison 



Population. 



[,128,179 



432 
.295 
.527 
,716 
,816 
,972 
, 267 
,288 
.419 
.997 
,200 
.8S4 
,362 
.893 
.459 
.025 
.714 
,940 
.693 
,296 
.324 
,352 
,342 
,934 
,984 
,328 
,786 
,908 
.796 
,603 
,789 
,961 
,038 



802, 525 



8,038 
10, 156 

6,004 
20,328 
12, 146 

6,285 

5,671 
13,337 
10,117 
15,771 

7,213 



8,370 
14,090 
12,755 
7,037 
14, 740 
9,415 
5,005 
6,505 
8,973 
12,231 
12,786 
14,951 
6,720 
9,023 
6,185 
7,480 
19,015 
7,775 
9,917 
18,086 
10,857 
10,877 
22, 386 
",565 
5,730 
8, 782 
13,288 
9,255 
6,404 
14,885 
12,146 
".455 



Increase. 



Number. 



325,654 



3,394 
3,139 
2,523 
7,388 
3,670 
1,687 
1,596 
3,951 
1,302 
5,226 
4,987 
7,884 
2,992 
5,803 
6,704 
4,988 
6,974 
4,525 
2,643 
2,791 
1,351 
5,121 
5,556 
4,983 
4,264 
6,305 
1,601 
5,428 
3,781 
3,828 
3,872 
3,875 
2,181 
4,302 
18,495 
5,193 
1,970 
4,202 
5,598 
1,000 
2,499 
5,889 
7,117 
5,947 



Per 
Cent 



40.58 



42.22 
30 91 
42.02 
36.34 
30 22 
26.84 
28.14 
29.62 
12.87 
33-14 
69.14 

35-75 
41.19 
52.56 
70.88 

47-31 
48.06 
52 34 
42.91 
15.06 
41.87 
43-45 
33-33 
63 -45 
69.88 
25-89 
72-57 
19 88 
49 23 
39 04 
21-43 
20.09 
39 55 
82.62 
44.90 
34-38 
47-85 
42.13 
10.80 
39.02 
39.56 
58 60 
51-92 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 
POPULATION OF X'^Y.h.'^^M^— Continued. 



3T5 



Counties. 



Marion 

Miller 

Mississippi . 

Monroe 

Montg^omery 

Nevada 

Newton 

Ouachita 

Perrv 

Phillips 

Pike 

Poinsett 

Polk 

Pope.. 

Prairie 

Pulaski 

Randolph .. 
St. Francis.. 

Saline 

Scott 

Searcy 

Sebastian ... 

Sevier 

Sharp 

Stone 

Union 

Van Buren. . 
Washington. 

White , 

Woodruff 

Yell 



Population. 



Increase. 



Number. 



10,390 


7,907 


14,714 


9,919 


11,635 


7,332 


15,336 


9,574 


7,923 


5,729 


14,832 


12,959 


9,950 


6, 120 


17,033 


11,758 


5,538 


3.872 


25,341 


21,262 


8,537 


6,315 


4,272 


2, 192 


9,283 


5,857 


19,458 


14.322 


11,374 


8,435 


47,329 


32,616 


14,485 


11,724 


13, 543 


8,389 


11,311 


8,953 


12,635 


9,174 


9,664 


7,278 


33, 200 


19, 560 


10,072 


6,192 


10,418 


9,047 


7.043 


5,089 


14,977 


13,419 


8,567 


9,565 


32,024 


23, 844 


22,946 


17, 794 


14,009 


8,646 


18,015 


13,852 



2,483 

4,795 
4,303 
5,762 
2,194 
1,873 
3,830 
5,275 
1,666 
4,079 
2, 192 
2,080 



,426 
136 
939 

.713 

,761 
15 + 
358 
461 
385 

,640 



1,954 
1,558 

8,180 
5,152 
5,363 
4,163 



Per 
Cent. 



31.40 
48.34 
58 69 
60.18 
38.30 
14-45 
62.58 
44.86 
43-03 
19.18 
34 55 
94.89 
58-49 
35.86 
34-84 
45-" 
23-55 
61.44 
26.34 

37-73 
32.78 
69.73 
62.66 
15-15 
38.40 
II. 61 
aio.43 

34-31 
28.95 
62.03 
30-05 



a Decrease. 



The population of thirteen cities and totutis having 3,000 or more 
inhabitants, in the order of their rank, is as follows : 



Cities and Towns. 


Counties. 


Population. 


Increase. 


1890 


1880 


No. 


Per 
Cent. 


Little Rock city 


Pulaski 

Sebastian 

Jefferson 

Garland 

Phillips 

Carroll 


25,874 
11,3" 
9,952 
8,086 
5,189 
3,706 


13,138 
3,099 
3,203 
3,554 
3, 652 
3,084 


12, 736 
8,212 
6,749 
4.532 
1,537 
^278 


96.94 
264.99 
210.71 
127.52 


Fort Smith city 


Pine Bluff city 

Hot Sprinsfs city 


Helena city 

Eureka Springs city 


42.09 
^6.98 



Decrease. 



3i6 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

POPULATION OF K'^Y.h.'^^K^ — Continued. 



Cities and Towns, 


Counties. 


Population. 


Increase. 


1890 


1880 


No. 


Per 

Cent. 




Miller 

Washington .. 

Ouachita 

Clark . ... 


3.528 
2,942 
2,571 
2,455 
2,291 
2,150 
2,065 


r.390 
1,788 
1,503 
1,506 
1,029 
1,264 


2,138 

I, 1.54 
1,068 

949 
1,262 

886 
2 ,065 


153-81 
64-54 


Fayetteville city 


Arkadelphia town 

Van Buren city 




Crawford 

Independence 
Craighead 


122.64 


Jonesboro town 













a Total for Texarkana city, in Miller county, Arkansas, and Bowie county 
Texas, 6,380. 



TABLE SHOWING THE POPULATION OF SECEDING 
AND NON-SECEDING STATES IN 1S60. 



The Union. 



California 

Connecticut 

Delaware 

Illinois 

Indiana 

Iowa 

Kansas 

Kentucky 

Maine 

Maryland 

Massachusetts 

Michigan 

Minnesota 

Missouri 

New Hampshire 

New Jersey 

New York 

Ohio 

Oregon 

Pennsylvania 

Rhode Island 

Vermont 

Wisconsin 

District of Columbia. 
Territories 



Whites. 



376, 200 

451,609 

90,697 

1, 704,684 

1,340,072 

673,925 
106,487 
920,077 
627,081 
516,128 

1, 221,611 
742,289 
171,793 

I , 064, 369 
325,622 
647,084 

3,831,730 

2,303,374 
52,343 

2,849,997 
170,703 
314,534 
774, 302 
60, 788 
219,781 



Total Union 



21,557,370 



Free colored 



3.816 

8.542 

19,723 

7,069 

10,869 

1,023 

623 

10, 146 

1,195 

83,718 

9.454 

6,823 

229 

2,983 

450 

24,947 

49, 005 

36,225 

121 

56, 373 

3.918 

582 

1,481 

II, 107 

299 



Slaves. 



:,798 



225,490 
"87,"i88 



114,965 



3,181 
63 



Total. 



380, 061 
460.151 
112,218 
I. 711. 753 
1,350,941 
674, 948 
107,110 

1,155,713 
628, 276 
687,034 

1,231,065 
749,112 
172,022 

1,182,317 
326,072 
672,031 

3,880,735 

2,339,599 
52,464 

2,906,370 
174,621 
315,116 
775,873 
75,076 
220,143 



432,685 22,340,776 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 317 

TABLE SHOWING THE POPULATION, ETC. —Continued. 



The Confederacy. 


Whites. 


Free colored. 


Slaves. 


Total. 


Alabama . . . 


526, 534 
324,186 
77,-778 
591,638 
357,642 
353, 969 
631,489 
291, 623 
826,828 
421,411 
1,047,613 


2,630 
137 
908 

3,439 
18,638 

731 

30,097 

9,648 

7,235 

339 

57,579 


435. 132 
111,104 
61,753 
462,232 
333,010 
436, 696 
331,081 
402,541 
275,784 
180, 682 
490, 887 


964,296 






Florida 


140, 439 
1,057,329 


Georgia .. ...... 










North Carolina 


992,667 


South Carolina 


703,812 


Tennessee 

Texas 


1,109,847 
602,432 




1,596.079 






Total Confederacy 


5,450,711 


131,401 


3,520,902 


9,103,014 



Federal enlistments all told 2,8000,000 

Confederate 700,000 

Federal enlistments in Arkansas 10,000 to 12,000 

Confederate 40,0001045,000 



THE STATES AND THE UNION. 
THE THIRTEEN ORIGINAL STATES. 



No. 


States. 


Ratified 
Constitution. 


No. 

8 
9 
10 
II 
12 
13 


States. 


Ratified 
Constitution. 


I 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 


Delaware 

Pennsylvania . . . 

New Jersey 

Georgia 

Connecticut 

Massachusetts . . 
Maryland 


Dec. 7, 1787 
Dec. 12, 1787 
Dec. 18, 1787 
Jan. 2, 1788 
Jan. 9, 1788 
Feb. 6, 1788 
April 28, 1788 


South Carolina . 
New Hampshire 

Virginia 

New York 

North Carolina . 
Rhode Island... 


May 23, 1788 
June 21, 1788 
June 26, 1788 
July 26, 1788 
Nov. 21, 1789 
May 29, 1790 



STATES ADMITTED TO THE UNION. 



No. 


States. 


Admitted. 


No. 

10 

12 
13 
14 

17 
18 


States. 


Admitted. 


I 
2 
3 
4 

% 


Vermont 

Kentucky 

Tennessee 

Ohio 


March 4, 1791 
June I, 1792 
June I, 1796 
Nov. 29, 1802 
April 8, 1812 
Dec. II, r8i6 
Dec. 10, 1817 
Dec. 3, 1818 
Dec. 14, 1819 


Maine 

Missouri 

Arkansas 

Michigan 

Florida 

Texas 

Iowa 

Wisconsin 

California 


March 15, 1820 
Aug. 10, 1821 
June 15, 1836 
Jan. 26, 1837 
March 3, 1845 
Dec. 29. 1845 
Dec. 28, 1846 
May 2y, 1848 
Sept. 9, 1850 


Louisiana 


I 


Mississippi 

Illinois 


9 


Alabama 



3i8 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

STATES ADMITTED TO THE V^lOl^. — Continued. 



No. 



States. 



Minnesota . . . 

Oregon 

Kansas 

West Virginia 

Nevada 

Nebraska 

Colorado 



Admitted. j 


1 
No. 


May 11, 1858 


26 


Feb. II, 1859 


27 


Jan. 29, 1861 
Dec. 31, 1862 


28 


29 


Oct. 31, 1864 


^0 


March i, 1867 


^i 


Aug. I, 1876 


32 



States. 



North Dakota 
South Dakota 

Montana 

Washington . 

Idaho 

Wyoming 

Utah 



Nov. 
Nov. 
Nov. 
Nov. 
July 
July 
Jan. 



2, 1889 



3, lago 
[I, 1891 

4, 1896 



THE TERRITORIES: 



Territories. 


Organized. 


Territories. 


Organized. 


District of Columbia. 


i July 16, 1790 

1 March 3, 1791 

June 30, 1834 

Sept. 9, 1850 


Arizona 


Feb. 24, 1863 
July 27, 1868 
May 2, 1890 











* The Indian Territory has as yet no organized territorial government. 

STATEMENT. 

Showing the number, mileage, and assessment of 7'ailroad property 
in the state of Arkansas for the year i8g^, as furnished by Hon. 
H. B. Armistead, Secretary of State. 



Name of Road. 



'St. Louis, Iron Mountain & S. 
Helena Branch 

Memphis Branch 

White River Branch 

Fort Smith Branch .-. 

Camden Branch -.. 

Little Rock, Miss. River &T.. 

Ouachita Division 

o Houston Central Ark. & N... 
% Little Rock & Fort Smith 

Kansas & Arkansas Valley 

Little Rock Junction (Bridge). 

*" I Arkansas & Louisiana 

St. Louis-Southwestern 

Kansas City, Ft. Scott & M 

St. Louis & San Francisco 

Fayetteville & L. R. Branch 

Little Rock & Texas Branch 

K. C. & Memphis Railway & B... 
Little Rock & Memphis 



Mileage. 



304 


qi 


140 


08 


88.84 


39 


41 


17 


63 


66.48 


"3 


31 


49 


41 


45 


26 


162.68 


5 


17 




S9 


25 


60 


418 


00 


138 


^■^ 


108 


20 


33 


29 


18 


34 



131 15 



1895. 



^5,335.969 

1, 203,751 

808,3^9 
263,687 
126,892 

434.724 
928,698 
243-491 

320, 328 

1,541,263 

53,028 

214,777 

139.852 

3.415.7" 

1,946,981 

1,018,097 

129,204 

110,338 

625, 000 

186, 242 



HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 
STATEMENT, Etc. — Continued. 



319 



Name of Road. 



White & Black River Valley 

Arkansas Midland 

Stuttgart & Arkansas River 

Prescott & Northwestern 

Dardandelle & Russell ville 

Ultima Thule, Arkadelphia & M 

Paidgould & Southeastern.. 

Bentonville . - 

Southwestern Ark. & I. T 

Miss. River & Northwestern 

Searcy & West Point 

Texarkana & Shreveport 

Kansas City P. & Gulf 

Arkansas Southern 

Mississippi & Little Rock 

Pine Bluff & Eastern 

Texarkana & Fort Smith 

Ft. Smith Paris & D 

L. R. Hot Springs & Texas 

Brinkley, Helena & Indian Bay.. 

Hot Springs 

Lewisville, N. O. & Texas 

Eureka Springs 



Totals 



Mileage. 



1895. 



63-52 

47.00 

33-00 

9-50 

4.19 

20.00 

9-50 

5-25 

33 76 

6.50 

7-94 

23.00 

25.80 

4-55 

27.01 

19-45 

22.00 

5.00 

2.00 

24.00 

22.18 



269,092 

289,074 
87.375 
27,010 
16,615 
49,994 
10,515 
23,075 

104,931 
15,000 
33,079 
74, 995 
86,671 
56,950 
31,120 
46, 045 

103,765 
5,000 
13,215 
54,555 

281,625 
19, 385 
88,714 



$21,333,232 



Total number of miles in 1895, 2, 373.29. 

ASSESSED VALUATION OF THE REAL AND PERSONAL 

PROPERTY OF THE STATE FOR 1894, 

AS FURNISHED BY HON. C. B. MILLS, AUDITOR 



Counties. 



Arkansas. 
Ashley ... 
Baxter ... 
Benton . . . 

Boone 

Bradley .. 
Calhoun.. 
Carroll . . . 

Chicot 

Clark 

Clay 

Cleburne 

Cleveland 

Columbia 

Conway.. 

Craighead 



Valuation. 



$2,572,030 
2,500,493 
1,023,75s 
3,939,856 
1,856,709 
1,208,830 
1,133,413 
2,550,870 
1,004,528 
2,868,072 
2, 163,280 
775,001 
1,354,852 
2,247,231 
2,477.568 
3,380,028 



Counties. 



Crawford 

Crittenden ... 

Cross 

Dallas 

Desha 

Drew 

Faulkner 

Franklin 

Fulton 

Garland 

Grant 

Greene 

Hempstead-.. 
Hot Spring... 

Howard 

Independence 



Valuation. 



$2, 886, 675 
2,828,086 
2,035,400 
1,322,33s 
1,272,154 
2,310,530 
2,343,683 
2.654,563 
1,557,224 
4,172,701 
915.335 
2,282,606 
2,941,796 
1,745,504 
I , 396 , 246 
4,051.343 



320 HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. 

ASSESSED VALUATION, Etc. — Continued. 



Counties. 



Izard 

Jackson 

Jefferson 

Johnson 

Lafayette .. 
Lawrence .. 

Lee 

Lincoln 

Little River 

Logan 

Lonoke 

Madison 

Marion 

Miller 

Mississippi.. 

Monroe 

Montgomery 

Nevada 

Newton 

Ouachita ... 

Perry 

Phillips .... 
Pike 



Valuation. 



448,778 
274.054 
670, 870 
362 , 206 
342,808 
946,641 
078,686 
,512, 102 
,209,941 
499,823 
,214,417 
776, 695 
,200,282 
no, 140 
675,216 
419,629 
511,220 
928, 976 
783. 404 
,072,360 
879,064 
723.032 
745,132 



Counties. 



Poinsett 

Polk 

Pope 

Prairie 

Pulaski 

Randolph .. 

Saline 

Scott 

Searcy 

Sebastian .. 

Sevier 

Sharp 

St. Francis . 

Stone 

Union 

Van Buren . 
Washington 
White -. ... 
Woodruff .. 
Yell 



Valuation. 



$1 , 796, 684 

661,369 

2,560,916 

2,107,553 
14,556,205 

1,555,754 
1,717,530 
1,249, 140 
1,016,424 
6,424,083 
1, 104,986 
1,492,125 
2,314,371 

692,230 
1,523,814 

667, 068 
4,330,512 
3, 749, 102 
2, 193,048 
2,378,763 



$173,762,244 



Assessed valuations are about 50 per cent, of the real values. 



^^l^30jQ4g 



